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The differences between lead contractors and contractor buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead contractor has an average salary of $97,028, which is higher than the $40,785 average annual salary of a contractor buyer.
The top three skills for a lead contractor include project management, contract management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a contractor buyer are customer service, purchase orders, and data entry.
| Lead Contractor | Contractor Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,028 | $40,785 |
| Hourly rate | $46.65 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 18,840 | 22,985 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A lead contractor is someone who is in charge of designing, building, and the engineering elements of a construction project. Lead contractors serve as the prime subcontractors to a development entity. They direct contract administration for the services and commodities as the team leads. It is part of their responsibilities to be goal-oriented with consistent meetings and create project management-related objectives. Also, they implement failure analysis and its modes and project management practices while they develop the failure analysis program.
A contractor buyer is responsible for acquiring materials and resources for construction and manufacturing processes that meet the quality standards and budget limitations. Contractor buyers negotiate offers with trusted suppliers and vendors for cost-effective materials based on design specifications and requirements. They also monitor the accurate distribution and delivery schedules to maintain the consistency of project plans and finish the task within the required deadlines. A contractor buyer must have excellent knowledge of the construction industry to identify the reliability of resources and handle the costings efficiently.
Lead contractors and contractor buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Contractor | Contractor Buyer | |
| Average salary | $97,028 | $40,785 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $151,000 | Between $32,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Livermore, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Parker Drilling Co | Johnson Controls |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead contractor and a contractor buyer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Contractor | Contractor Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between lead contractors' and contractor buyers' demographics:
| Lead Contractor | Contractor Buyer | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 6% |