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The differences between planner/buyers and purchasing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a planner/buyer and a purchasing assistant. Additionally, a planner/buyer has an average salary of $54,261, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for a planner/buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and customer service. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Planner/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $54,261 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $26.09 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 33,452 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A purchasing assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.
Planner/buyers and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planner/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $54,261 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $77,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Billerica, MA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a planner/buyer and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Planner/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between planner/buyers' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Planner/Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |