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The differences between material project managers and purchasing managers 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 project manager and a purchasing manager. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $86,465 average annual salary of a material project manager.
The top three skills for a material project manager include asphalt, project management and construction materials. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.
| Material Project Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $86,465 | $98,118 |
| Hourly rate | $41.57 | $47.17 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 127,323 | 30,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A material project manager acts as the contact person for various projects of a company. This person is responsible for providing information, updates, and reports on the status and progress. The material project manager also monitors the project from start to finish and ensures that all materials needed for the project are available, delivered on time, and is according to the quality set by the company's quality assurance team. Aside from this primary task, the material project manager also oversees the employees working under the production department and ensures optimal productivity and constant output.
A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.
Material project managers and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Project Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average salary | $86,465 | $98,118 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $116,000 | Between $70,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maine |
| Best paying company | Applied Materials | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a material project manager and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:
| Material Project Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between material project managers' and purchasing managers' demographics:
| Material Project Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |