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The differences between planner/buyers and procurement analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a planner/buyer, becoming a procurement analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a procurement analyst has an average salary of $64,448, which is higher than the $54,261 average annual salary of a planner/buyer.
The top three skills for a planner/buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and customer service. The most important skills for a procurement analyst are purchase orders, supplier performance, and customer service.
| Planner/Buyer | Procurement Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $54,261 | $64,448 |
| Hourly rate | $26.09 | $30.98 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 33,452 | 75,154 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
The role of buyers/planners is to ensure that office materials and equipment are well-supplied within their organization. They decide and purchase the materials needed for use or resale by their organization. They are responsible for evaluating prospective suppliers based on their cost, product quality, and delivery times. They are also the ones who negotiate contracts specifying the payment terms, price, and delivery schedules. Most employers prefer their buyer to have earned a bachelor's degree with a major in operations management or business management.
Procurement analysts procure favorable contracts by acting as liaisons between suppliers and their employers. They are hired by organizations that rely on supply chain management to analyze and evaluate potential suppliers, prepare reports about monthly supply costs, and negotiate contracts. With good critical thinking skills, these procurement analysts who are also known as purchasing analysts, evaluate vendors and suppliers based on the speed of delivery, quality, and price. They use quantitative methods to support fact-based decision-making to become competitive and to ensure cost-efficiency and high quality of the products and services.
Planner/buyers and procurement analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planner/Buyer | Procurement Analyst | |
| Average salary | $54,261 | $64,448 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $77,000 | Between $45,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Billerica, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a planner/buyer and a procurement analyst in terms of educational background:
| Planner/Buyer | Procurement Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between planner/buyers' and procurement analysts' demographics:
| Planner/Buyer | Procurement Analyst | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 11.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 12% |