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The differences between junior buyers/buyers and 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 junior buyer/buyer and a purchasing agent. Additionally, a junior buyer/buyer has an average salary of $52,374, which is higher than the $51,950 average annual salary of a purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a junior buyer/buyer include purchase orders, MRP and ERP. The most important skills for a purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $52,374 | $51,950 |
| Hourly rate | $25.18 | $24.98 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 22,370 | 45,856 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A junior buyer/buyer is in charge of purchasing supplies in adherence to company goals. Their responsibilities typically revolve around participating in meetings that discuss the kinds of products to procure, performing research and analysis to find the ideal vendors or suppliers, liaising and negotiating with external parties, maintaining invoices and records of all transactions, and producing progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to monitor the shipment and deliveries of supplies, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Should there be any problems, it is necessary to coordinate with vendors right away.
A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.
Junior buyers/buyers and purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $52,374 | $51,950 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $69,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Astronics | Abiomed |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior buyer/buyer and a purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior buyers/buyers' and purchasing agents' demographics:
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |