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The differences between media buyers and purchasers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a media buyer and a purchaser. Additionally, a media buyer has an average salary of $74,390, which is higher than the $50,031 average annual salary of a purchaser.
The top three skills for a media buyer include digital marketing, campaign performance and media buying. The most important skills for a purchaser are purchase orders, FDA, and POS.
| Media Buyer | Purchaser | |
| Yearly salary | $74,390 | $50,031 |
| Hourly rate | $35.76 | $24.05 |
| Growth rate | 8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 20,884 | 6,852 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 87% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Media Buyers are marketing professionals who manage the company's advertisements. They create the company's media plan to determine the advertising needs of the company. They negotiate with external providers to get the best advertisement placement values. To do this, Media Buyers are expected to conduct thorough research on the different advertising companies, networks, media, size of placement, and length of advertisement. Their research must consider the target market and determine the best media to reach their target market. Media Buyers should have good negotiation skills and must be able to maintain good working relationships with providers.
A Purchaser is responsible for buying goods and services from distribution centers to sell to customers or other companies. They conduct data analysis and research current market trends to identify public demands and generate resources that would increase the company's revenues and profitability. They also ensure the adequacy of supply inventories for deliveries, respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, and recommend products according to their needs and budget requirements. A Purchaser must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in documenting purchase transactions and negotiating contracts with suppliers and vendors.
Media buyers and purchasers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Buyer | Purchaser | |
| Average salary | $74,390 | $50,031 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $98,000 | Between $36,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Burlington, VT | Atlantic City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Barnes Group |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a media buyer and a purchaser in terms of educational background:
| Media Buyer | Purchaser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 87% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between media buyers' and purchasers' demographics:
| Media Buyer | Purchaser | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |