Grants administrator vs purchasing assistant

The differences between grants administrators 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 grants administrator and a purchasing assistant. Additionally, a grants administrator has an average salary of $49,206, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.

The top three skills for a grants administrator include grants management, financial reports and pre-award. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.

Grants administrator vs purchasing assistant overview

	Grants Administrator	Purchasing Assistant
Yearly salary	$49,206	$38,331
Hourly rate	$23.66	$18.43
Growth rate	6%	-8%
Number of jobs	60,227	8,415
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a grants administrator do?

A grants administrator is responsible for approving financial and administrative assistance to employees and the organization provided that they submit the required documents and application for project development and processes. Grants administrators determine the eligibility of programs to calculate payments, generate financial reports and transactions, and coordinate with the management team for project implementation. They also follow strict procedures and protocols to ensure that the budget adheres to internal guidelines and requirements. A grants administrator must have excellent communication and analytical skills to review proposals and legal documents.

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.

Grants administrator vs purchasing assistant salary

Grants administrators and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Grants Administrator	Purchasing Assistant
Average salary	$49,206	$38,331
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $62,000	Between $31,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Maryland
Best paying company	Children's Hospital Colorado	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between grants administrator and purchasing assistant education

There are a few differences between a grants administrator and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:

	Grants Administrator	Purchasing Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Grants administrator vs purchasing assistant demographics

Here are the differences between grants administrators' and purchasing assistants' demographics:

	Grants Administrator	Purchasing Assistant
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8%	Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	7%	7%

Differences between grants administrator and purchasing assistant duties and responsibilities

Grants administrator example responsibilities.

Establish operating policies and procedures and attain SNF Medicare certification.
Update faculty regarding new federal sponsor (NIH and NSF) policies and regulations.
Verify compliance documents (IRB, IACUC, internal documents) with RVL and PCRO on inter-institutional agreements.
Organize and prepare grant applications for submission to NIH and private foundations.
Submit research relate regulatory and annual reports, including IRB applications and updates, annual reports, and the like.
Serve as technical resource for grant recipients with knowledge of federal regulations and guidelines; OMB circulars A110 and A122.

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.

Grants administrator vs purchasing assistant skills

Common grants administrator skills

Grants Management, 11%
Financial Reports, 6%
Pre-award, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Research Administration, 5%
Principal Investigators, 5%

Common purchasing assistant skills

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

Grants Administrator vs. similar jobs

Grants Administrator related careers

Grants Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Grants Administrator
Grants Administrator vs Purchasing Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs