Grants administrator vs senior buyer

The differences between grants administrators and senior buyers 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 senior buyer. Additionally, a senior buyer has an average salary of $79,848, which is higher than the $49,206 average annual salary of a grants administrator.

The top three skills for a grants administrator include grants management, financial reports and pre-award. The most important skills for a senior buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and MRP.

Grants administrator vs senior buyer overview

	Grants Administrator	Senior Buyer
Yearly salary	$49,206	$79,848
Hourly rate	$23.66	$38.39
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	60,227	27,412
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
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 senior buyer do?

The job of senior buyers, or also known as purchasing agents, is to meet the material needs of an organization. They are responsible for finding suppliers, arranging the distribution to several retail outlets, and supervising other purchasing agents. They also look for new product streams and establish procurement strategies. Senior buyers typically begin their careers as assistant buyers or junior purchasing agents. Most employers usually prefer those with college degrees in marketing, business, and economics.

Grants administrator vs senior buyer salary

Grants administrators and senior buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Grants Administrator	Senior Buyer
Average salary	$49,206	$79,848
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $62,000	Between $56,000 And $112,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Children's Hospital Colorado	Capgemini
Best paying industry	Health Care	Hospitality

Differences between grants administrator and senior buyer education

There are a few differences between a grants administrator and a senior buyer in terms of educational background:

	Grants Administrator	Senior Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Grants administrator vs senior buyer demographics

Here are the differences between grants administrators' and senior buyers' demographics:

	Grants Administrator	Senior Buyer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8%	Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3%
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, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between grants administrator and senior buyer 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.

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Senior buyer example responsibilities.

Manage assigned commodities by communicating MRP changes and forecasts to minimize excess inventory to achieve optimum inventory levels.
Manage and analyze supplier OTD and keep in constant communication with suppliers to help improve delivery.
Manage ECO process with overseas manufacturing partner.
Lead Made2Manage ERP system development and implementation to improve effectiveness and efficiency of inventory.
Manage invoice reconciliations, RFQ management, system database review and regular inventory reporting.
Manage commodities at establish re-order point levels meeting forecast for production scale-up and revenue goals.

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Grants administrator vs senior buyer skills

Common grants administrator skills

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

Common senior buyer skills

Supply Chain, 17%
Purchase Orders, 11%
MRP, 4%
Supplier Performance, 4%
Commodities, 4%
Continuous Improvement, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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