Director of purchasing vs logistics specialist

The differences between directors of purchasing and logistics specialists 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 logistics specialist. Additionally, a director of purchasing has an average salary of $106,945, which is higher than the $41,537 average annual salary of a logistics specialist.

The top three skills for a director of purchasing include supply chain, purchase orders and product development. The most important skills for a logistics specialist are customer service, shipping receiving, and inventory control.

Director of purchasing vs logistics specialist overview

	Director Of Purchasing	Logistics Specialist
Yearly salary	$106,945	$41,537
Hourly rate	$51.42	$19.97
Growth rate	-6%	28%
Number of jobs	17,847	35,753
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	41
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director of purchasing do?

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.

What does a logistics specialist do?

A logistics specialist is a member of the workforce that handles the logistics procedures in a warehouse or similar establishment. A logistics specialist primarily functions in processing orders, preparing goods, receiving shipments, and even shipping deliveries, ensuring that all transactions are within the allotted schedule. Furthermore, they are in charge of overseeing that all shipments are aligned with the expected quality and quantity, maintaining an accurate record of inventory, producing reports, and coordinating with other members of the team. All while adhering to the policies and standards of the company.

Director of purchasing vs logistics specialist salary

Directors of purchasing and logistics specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Purchasing	Logistics Specialist
Average salary	$106,945	$41,537
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $166,000	Between $29,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Maryland
Best paying company	Rivian	GCP Applied Technologies
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between director of purchasing and logistics specialist education

There are a few differences between a director of purchasing and a logistics specialist in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Purchasing	Logistics Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Director of purchasing vs logistics specialist demographics

Here are the differences between directors of purchasing' and logistics specialists' demographics:

	Director Of Purchasing	Logistics Specialist
Average age	47	41
Gender ratio	Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9%	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%
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, 12.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 10.3% White, 49.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	9%

Differences between director of purchasing and logistics specialist duties and responsibilities

Director of purchasing example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of the RFQ process, contracts, cost and rebate negotiations, and awarding of business.
Manage out-bound logistics services and third-party logistics providers to expand the range of commodities need to support automobile and aerospace manufacturing.
Develop standards and implement procedures for materials planning, product acquisition, inventory control, material distribution and logistics management.
Implement cost controls using commodity segmentation, vendor KPI's and cost justification base on key market indicators.
Monitor KPI indicators such as inventory turns, supplier on time delivery, inventory cycle count accuracy, and PPV.
Develop RFP (request for proposal) analysis, negotiation strategy, contract drafting and agreement execution plans on all contracts.

Logistics specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and execute the GSA fleet maintenance program.
Manage Phase-In/Phase-Out (NPI) to minimize obsolete material.
Manage the DIFM program to ensure assets are return and process in accordance with directives.
Experience decision-maker in high-pressure environments; efficiently manage vital decision points autonomously to ensure mission accomplishment in multiple combat deployments.
Produce technical procedures, guidelines, and supply support information to be include in ILS documentation.
Enter all necessary transactions in MRP system, perform cycle counts, and resolve inventory discrepancies.

Director of purchasing vs logistics specialist skills

Common director of purchasing skills

Supply Chain, 18%
Purchase Orders, 9%
Product Development, 7%
Vendor Relations, 6%
Logistics, 5%
Cost Savings, 4%

Common logistics specialist skills

Customer Service, 23%
Shipping Receiving, 7%
Inventory Control, 6%
Logistics Support, 5%
Management System, 4%
Cycle Counts, 4%

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Director Of Purchasing
Director Of Purchasing vs Logistics Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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