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Job outlook for directors of purchasing in the United States
Director of purchasing job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected director of purchasing job growth rate is -6% from 2018-2028.
About -29,500 new jobs for directors of purchasing are projected over the next decade.
Director of purchasing salaries have increased 13% for directors of purchasing in the last 5 years.
There are over 40,706 directors of purchasing currently employed in the United States.
There are 17,847 active director of purchasing job openings in the US.
The average director of purchasing salary is $106,945.
Are director of purchasing jobs in demand?
Director of purchasing job and salary trends over time
Director of purchasing jobs over time
Director of purchasing job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40,706 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 41,399 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 41,995 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 40,426 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 40,898 | 0.01% |
Average director of purchasing salary over time
Director of purchasing salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $106,945 | $51.42 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $102,844 | $49.44 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $101,001 | $48.56 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $98,301 | $47.26 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $94,760 | $45.56 | +3.2% |
Director of purchasing jobs by state
Most common states for directors of purchasing
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 161 | 23% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 190 | 22% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 297 | 16% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 762 | 15% |
| 5 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 589 | 12% |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 556 | 12% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 449 | 11% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 516 | 8% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 417 | 6% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 595 | 5% |
| 11 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 494 | 5% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 298 | 5% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 272 | 5% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 189 | 5% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 68 | 5% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 53 | 5% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,626 | 4% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 318 | 4% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 169 | 4% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 22 | 4% |
Most common cities for directors of purchasing
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethesda | 1 | 2% | $101,777 |
| 2 | Elkhart | 1 | 2% | $96,509 |
| 3 | Fairfield | 1 | 1% | $133,666 |
| 4 | Farmington Hills | 1 | 1% | $125,488 |
| 5 | Miami Beach | 1 | 1% | $67,686 |
| 6 | Tyler | 1 | 1% | $88,648 |
| 7 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $107,991 |
| 8 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $85,005 |
| 9 | Irvine | 1 | 0% | $112,747 |
| 10 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $69,086 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $114,844 |
| 12 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $132,773 |
| 13 | Saint Louis | 1 | 0% | $82,574 |
| 14 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $134,089 |
| 15 | Scottsdale | 1 | 0% | $98,457 |
| 16 | Seattle | 1 | 0% | $132,911 |
Director Of Purchasing job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of director of purchasing experts
Pennsylvania State University - New Kensington
Mr. Supply Chain
What will help Directors Of Purchasing increase their earning potential?
Priya Nagaraj: Students need to know how to write their resumes and update their profiles so they can flag the skills they have acquired to prospective employers. Once they start their careers, attitude is one of the most important predictors of success - the ability to communicate and work in a team, and an openness to learn.
What type of skills will young Directors Of Purchasing need?
Adrian Tan: The feedback from business leaders is that they wish to see a balanced mix of different skills in new graduates. An unexpected skill mentioned is the ability to use spreadsheets such as Excel. Companies do not expect to have to train new employees to use spreadsheets, though it turned out that spreadsheets are widely used (at varying levels of complexity) at all levels in organizations. An assumption here is that if a graduate already has good spreadsheet skills, then the graduate should also have the ability to quickly pick up on other more complex business IT skills required by the organization.
Businesses also need to know if their new employees can effectively interact with internal or external audiences. In this regard, excellent presentation skills are the minimum expectation from businesses. Presentation skills (both formal and informal) include the ability to read people, to communicate, and to covey information appropriately to the different types of audiences they may encounter - and these may sometimes include bored, skeptical, adversarial or even hostile audiences.
Every organization also requires graduates to show that they are good team-players. In addition to that, it is a big advantage if graduates can also demonstrate sound leadership skills in the context of teamwork. This is because new employees with leadership potential are viewed as those who are willing to go the extra mile, able to function with minimum supervision, can roll with the punches to jump back into the fray, and trusted to welcome (instead of to avoid) new assignments or challenges. Leadership skills are also seen as closely aligned with the possession of a corporate entrepreneurial mindset in that such employees are more willing to challenge the status quo, come up with out-of-the-box ideas, and help lead transformation efforts that can guide the organization in the future.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Directors Of Purchasing to find work opportunities?
Daniel Stanton: Every business and government organization has a supply chain, and that means there are job opportunities for supply chain professionals virtually everywhere. I always encourage people to focus on industries and regions that align with their personal priorities, while factoring in the upside opportunities and downside risks. It's easier to get a job with a company that is growing, and in a region that has a strong economy. But you can still find opportunities with companies that are trying to cut costs in their supply chain to survive an economic downturn.
How do you envision technology impacting Directors Of Purchasing in the next 5 years?
Daniel Stanton: Technology is having a huge impact on supply chains! Many of our planning and execution processes are being automated, and robots and autonomous vehicles are changing the way we think about transportation and material handling. Sensors and telecommunications are also giving us better visibility to what's happening throughout the supply chain, and making it much easier to control supply chain activities around the world from a laptop or cellphone. I know some people are concerned about technology replacing the work that people are doing today, and eliminating supply chain jobs. But I think there are many more examples of companies that are creating new positions for people who can plan and orchestrate the vast number of complex activities that need to be aligned in order for a supply chain to function effectively.