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The differences between junior buyers/buyers 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 junior buyer/buyer and a purchasing assistant. Additionally, a junior buyer/buyer has an average salary of $52,374, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for a junior buyer/buyer include purchase orders, MRP and ERP. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,374 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $25.18 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | - | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 22,370 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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 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.
Junior buyers/buyers and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $52,374 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $69,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Astronics | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior buyer/buyer and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior buyers/buyers' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| 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, 9.1% 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% |