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The differences between material managers and purchasing supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a material manager and a purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a material manager has an average salary of $96,125, which is higher than the $68,702 average annual salary of a purchasing supervisor.
The top three skills for a material manager include supply chain, logistics and customer service. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.
| Material Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $96,125 | $68,702 |
| Hourly rate | $46.21 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 43,759 | 19,412 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A material manager is responsible for monitoring inventories and stock supplies, ensuring the adequacy of materials needed for manufacturing or other operations, depending on the organization's industry. Material managers meet with suppliers and third-party vendors, negotiating contracts that would fit the budget goals of the company without compromising quality. They manage the distribution of resources throughout the organizations' department and provide purchase reports for the management. A material manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to address the needs of an organization for smooth operations.
A purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.
Material managers and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $96,125 | $68,702 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $126,000 | Between $45,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | CDW |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a material manager and a purchasing supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Material Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between material managers' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:
| Material Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.7% Female, 22.3% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |