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The differences between directors of purchasing and senior purchasing agents 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 senior purchasing agent. Additionally, a director of purchasing has an average salary of $106,945, which is higher than the $73,386 average annual salary of a senior purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a director of purchasing include supply chain, purchase orders and product development. The most important skills for a senior purchasing agent are purchase orders, project management, and supplier relationships.
| Director Of Purchasing | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $106,945 | $73,386 |
| Hourly rate | $51.42 | $35.28 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 17,847 | 43,833 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| 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.
Senior Purchasing Agents are experienced employees in the company's purchasing department. They oversee the purchase requisitions of the employees. They validate requests, ensure that the requestors followed company guidelines, check the availability of the items with the chosen supplier, and forward the purchase order to the supplier. Upon fulfillment of the request, Senior Purchasing Agents check the deliveries, ensure that the items are complete and correct, forward the items to the requestor, and process the payment for the supplier. Senior Purchasing agents also prepare reports, spot trends in employee or department purchases, and create recommendations based on observations. They are also expected to form good working relationships with suppliers.
Directors of purchasing and senior purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Purchasing | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $106,945 | $73,386 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $166,000 | Between $52,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a director of purchasing and a senior purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Purchasing | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between directors of purchasing' and senior purchasing agents' demographics:
| Director Of Purchasing | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% |
| 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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |