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The differences between junior buyers/buyers and purchasing 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 junior buyer/buyer and a purchasing buyer. Additionally, a junior buyer/buyer has an average salary of $52,374, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.
The top three skills for a junior buyer/buyer include purchase orders, MRP and ERP. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,374 | $47,471 |
| Hourly rate | $25.18 | $22.82 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 22,370 | 21,158 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
In a retail setting, a purchasing buyer is primarily responsible for devising strategies for procuring supplies, ensuring that it aligns with the company's needs and standards. They are also responsible for conducting thorough marketing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather and process documentation, liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers, and keeping track of all purchasing orders to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a purchasing buyer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and submit regular reports to supervisors.
Junior buyers/buyers and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average salary | $52,374 | $47,471 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $69,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Goleta, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Astronics | Aramco Services Company |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a junior buyer/buyer and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior buyers/buyers' and purchasing buyers' demographics:
| Junior Buyer/Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |