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The differences between directors of purchasing and directors of distribution can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of purchasing and a director of distribution. Additionally, a director of distribution has an average salary of $126,210, which is higher than the $106,945 average annual salary of a director of purchasing.
The top three skills for a director of purchasing include supply chain, purchase orders and product development. The most important skills for a director of distribution are continuous improvement, project management, and distribution operations.
| Director Of Purchasing | Director Of Distribution | |
| Yearly salary | $106,945 | $126,210 |
| Hourly rate | $51.42 | $60.68 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 17,847 | 21,751 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A director of purchasing oversees the procedures related to buying resources and supplies, directing operations from planning to execution while adhering to standards and company policies. They primarily perform research and assessments to understand project needs in terms of price, quality, and delivery time. They also identify ideal suppliers, negotiate deals, and build positive business relationships. Additionally, a director of purchasing has the authority to make significant decisions, delegate responsibilities among staff, oversee employment procedures within the department, and solve issues and concerns when any arise.
A distribution director spearheads and oversees an organization's distribution procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to coordinate with different departments to identify and understand the distribution needs, set goals and guidelines, manage budgets and schedules, delegate tasks among managers, develop strategies to optimize operations, and present reports to the executives and shareholders. They must also liaise with externals parties, building positive relationships with them. Moreover, a distribution director must lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals while monitoring the progress of operations.
Directors of purchasing and directors of distribution have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Purchasing | Director Of Distribution | |
| Average salary | $106,945 | $126,210 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $166,000 | Between $88,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a director of purchasing and a director of distribution in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Purchasing | Director Of Distribution | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between directors of purchasing' and directors of distribution' demographics:
| Director Of Purchasing | Director Of Distribution | |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |