Forecasting analyst vs purchasing assistant

The differences between forecasting analysts and purchasing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a forecasting analyst and a purchasing assistant. Additionally, a forecasting analyst has an average salary of $69,708, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.

The top three skills for a forecasting analyst include supply chain, SQL and data analysis. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.

Forecasting analyst vs purchasing assistant overview

	Forecasting Analyst	Purchasing Assistant
Yearly salary	$69,708	$38,331
Hourly rate	$33.51	$18.43
Growth rate	19%	-8%
Number of jobs	31,811	8,415
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	37	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a forecasting analyst do?

A forecasting analyst is responsible for predicting a business's future production and financial condition by analyzing the company's current data statistics. Forecasting analysts evaluate the company's sales performance, inventory levels, production speed, and turnaround time of deliverables. They also study the latest industry trends, identifying business opportunities from consumer demands and interests to develop revenue resources to maintain the business' financial stability. A forecasting analyst must have excellent communication and analytical skills, especially on creating report models and finance measurement accuracy.

What does a purchasing assistant do?

A purchasing assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.

Forecasting analyst vs purchasing assistant salary

Forecasting analysts and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forecasting Analyst	Purchasing Assistant
Average salary	$69,708	$38,331
Salary range	Between $53,000 And $90,000	Between $31,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	Washington	Maryland
Best paying company	Apple	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Technology

Differences between forecasting analyst and purchasing assistant education

There are a few differences between a forecasting analyst and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:

	Forecasting Analyst	Purchasing Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Pennsylvania

Forecasting analyst vs purchasing assistant demographics

Here are the differences between forecasting analysts' and purchasing assistants' demographics:

	Forecasting Analyst	Purchasing Assistant
Average age	37	48
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between forecasting analyst and purchasing assistant duties and responsibilities

Forecasting analyst example responsibilities.

Manage National/Global RFP project process by creating pricing models and coordinating pricing efforts of different ManpowerGroup brands.
Enter sales and freight information in company ERP software program.
Work with logistics to track shipments to distribution center and ensure customer delivery dates are met.
Develop and execute the POS and inventory forecasts and analysis for mass merchants and national /international sales accounts.
Create promotional, POS, & inventory reports for both domestic and international accounts and submit to company each week.
Utilize Nielsen data to create category reviews, new product presentations, and attend customer meetings to support customer category managers.

Purchasing assistant example responsibilities.

Manage RFP process and play a key role in minimizing the cost of printing.
Schedule and manage new product trials, liaise with vendors, surgeons and specialty coordinators.
Manage activities of purchasing, production planning and scheduling, inventory management, warehousing and logistics.
Master point of service (POS) computer system for automate order taking.
Input of purchase orders into ERP system, order acknowledgments, follow-up, and expedition of orders.
Prepare purchase orders using MRP, inspect incoming shipments for quality, and attend press checks for production approval.

Forecasting analyst vs purchasing assistant skills

Common forecasting analyst skills

Supply Chain, 9%
SQL, 9%
Data Analysis, 7%
Strong Analytical, 6%
SAS, 5%
Demand Planning, 5%

Common purchasing assistant skills

Purchase Orders, 30%
Purchase Requisitions, 18%
Customer Service, 11%
Data Entry, 8%
Logistics, 3%
POS, 2%

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Forecasting Analyst
Forecasting Analyst vs Purchasing Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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