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The differences between media 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 media buyer and a purchasing buyer. Additionally, a media buyer has an average salary of $74,390, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.
The top three skills for a media buyer include digital marketing, campaign performance and media buying. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.
| Media Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,390 | $47,471 |
| Hourly rate | $35.76 | $22.82 |
| Growth rate | 8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 20,884 | 21,158 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 87% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
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.
Media buyers and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average salary | $74,390 | $47,471 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $98,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Burlington, VT | Goleta, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | California |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Aramco Services Company |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a media buyer and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:
| Media Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 87% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between media buyers' and purchasing buyers' demographics:
| Media Buyer | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% |
| 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, 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% |