What is a Procurement Agent?

Procurement agents are responsible for buying the materials and products their company needs for daily operations. They are always up to date on prices and market trends and keep in regular contact with suppliers. They review products and come up with sustainable and profitable procurement strategies for the company.

To be a successful procurement agent, you need to enjoy analytical thinking, know your way around numbers, and have excellent communication and negotiation skills. Being organized and using spreadsheets and word processors without holdups will make your life a lot easier.

A bachelor's in business administration is usually required to land this position. But the gist of the job you will pick up once you start working or over the course of an on the job training. Your average salary will be $68,757, which often comes with additional bonus packages.

What Does a Procurement Agent Do

There are certain skills that many procurement agents have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and interpersonal skills.

Learn more about what a Procurement Agent does

How To Become a Procurement Agent

If you're interested in becoming a procurement agent, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 69.5% of procurement agents have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 12.1% of procurement agents have master's degrees. Even though most procurement agents have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Procurement Agent

Procurement Agent Job Description

A procurement agent is responsible for the procurement of materials, products, and services. Their duties include evaluating and ensuring the quality of these products, negotiating contracts, and drafting budgets and plans for their procurement.

Learn more about Procurement Agent Job Description
Top Procurement Agent Jobs Near You

Procurement Agent Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a procurement agent can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as senior buyer, progress to a title such as purchasing manager and then eventually end up with the title senior purchasing manager.

Procurement Agent

Average Salary for a Procurement Agent

Procurement Agents in America make an average salary of $72,384 per year or $35 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $106,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $49,000 per year.
Average Procurement Agent Salary
$72,384 Yearly
$34.80 hourly
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Roles and Types of Procurement Agent

The role of a procurement agent includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general procurement agent responsibilities:

  • Actively manages a large number of supplier relationships with a focus on cost reduction, consistent high-quality, mutual efficiencies,
  • Rfq management quote cycle preparation, create, publish
  • Conduct complex strategic sourcing solicitation for varying types of commodities. Advance capability with ms excel to provide formula based analysis based on global sourcing activities. Participate in the functions of market analysis, internal siemens demand analysis, demand pooling, supplier selection, negotiation of price, terms

There are several types of procurement agent, including:

Agent

Role:

So long to the days of claiming you don't know where you want to go for lunch because, as an agent, you have a lot of decision-making power in your hands. Be prepared to use it.

Agents help clients by acting as their liasion. They negotiate terms of contracts, particularly on a financial level. The more money you make your client, the more money you'll be able to collect. So you'll want to work on your negotiation and persuasion skills.

Agents work in a variety of industries, so you can have your pick of opportunities. Some work in the entertainment industry, while others are in the financial scene. Wherever you end up, you'll most likely be working a full-time job. Although, some client meetings can be done outside of normal work hours. This means you might want to prepare yourself for some late nights.

  • Average Salary: $37,864
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Buyer

Role:

Buyers are also known as purchasing agents. People in these positions are responsible for introducing products that fit a store's brand, as well as the budget. Your employer may hire you to focus on a specific brand or area, or you may be hired to purchase products for an entire store. Sometimes even a business chain.

Many employers are impressed when a buyer comes in with a bachelor's degree, but the majority only require a high school diploma. Some helpful courses for this job that you might want to look into include topics surrounding merchandising, marketing, advertising and business. All of these can help lead you to buying only the best products.

  • Average Salary: $54,049
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Purchasing Agent

Role:

Purchasing agents or buyers manage the inventory of companies. They research the best suppliers of the required goods, prepare and process orders, and verify deliveries. They negotiate the prices and assess the quality of the purchased products. Requesting quotes and managing the records of the transactions is also their responsibility.

They work in office environments. typically 40 hours a week, employed primarily by the manufacturing industries, but wholesale and government institutions use their services as well, and of course, retail.

A good purchasing agent is business savvy and organized, detail-oriented, and has the tenacity for thorough research. They usually have education in business administration and often use inventory management software to make their life easier.

  • Average Salary: $51,950
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Procurement Agent Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active procurement agent jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where procurement agents earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Procurement Agent Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California3,503$86,703
2Texas2,000$65,210
3Florida1,823$50,302
4Pennsylvania1,612$84,958
5Ohio1,446$72,939
6Illinois1,364$64,335
7New York1,329$77,765
8Massachusetts1,139$77,464
9Michigan1,130$80,272
10Georgia1,104$50,671
11Arizona991$64,487
12Missouri955$60,594
13Colorado794$61,507
14Virginia765$73,441
15North Carolina760$62,890
16Washington726$66,223
17New Jersey706$88,737
18Minnesota681$66,010
19Tennessee647$56,384
20Indiana643$63,084
21Wisconsin630$66,846
22Maryland602$66,384
23Oregon581$78,507
24Alabama530$51,406
25South Carolina450$58,747
26Utah442$74,369
27Louisiana423$58,082
28Arkansas325$57,273
29Connecticut324$73,889
30Nebraska315$62,176
31Oklahoma305$57,049
32Mississippi300$67,411
33Kansas297$62,317
34Nevada281$72,373
35New Hampshire219$74,131
36Idaho205$63,097
37Iowa191$56,579
38New Mexico176$74,290
39Delaware163$74,006
40Montana159$60,612
41Rhode Island148$75,374
42Maine121$60,460
43Kentucky117$64,857
44Vermont108$79,262
45South Dakota108$59,063
46West Virginia106$74,887
47North Dakota101$55,152
48Hawaii89$56,199
49Wyoming84$63,823
50Alaska28$62,364

Procurement Agent Education

Procurement Agent Majors

Business
42.1 %
Supply Chain Management
7.0 %
Management
6.4 %

Procurement Agent Degrees

Bachelors

69.5 %

Masters

12.1 %

Associate

11.8 %

Top Colleges for Procurement Agents

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

Top Skills For a Procurement Agent

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 15.2% of procurement agents listed supply chain on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.

  • Supply Chain, 15.2%
  • Strategic Sourcing, 6.1%
  • Supplier Performance, 5.5%
  • Customer Service, 4.6%
  • Inventory Control, 4.1%
  • Other Skills, 64.5%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Procurement Agent Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Procurement Agent templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Procurement Agent resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Procurement Agent diversity

Procurement Agent Gender Distribution

Male
Male
51%
Female
Female
49%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among procurement agents, 48.6% of them are women, while 51.4% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among procurement agents is White, which makes up 66.2% of all procurement agents.

  • The most common foreign language among procurement agents is Spanish at 45.3%.

Online Courses For Procurement Agent That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Supply Chain Logistics

coursera

Have you ever wondered how goods get delivered to us so quickly as soon as we order them? One word: Logistics! In this introductory Supply Chain Logistics course, I will take you on a journey to this fascinating backbone of global trade. We cover the three major building blocks of logistics networks: transportation, warehousing, and inventory. After completing this course, you will be able to differentiate the advantages and disadvantages of different modes of transportation. You will...

2. Strategic Cost Management: Procurement and Supply Chain 2022

udemy
4.3
(1,085)

How to secure long term Procurement savings without breaking relations with your suppliers (with the updates 2022)...

3. The Fundamentals of end-to-end Supply Chain Management

udemy
4.4
(555)

Supply Chain Management - Level 1: Introducing all the Key Components of a Supply Chain...

Show More Online Courses For Procurement Agent
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Best States For a Procurement Agent

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a procurement agent. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Procurement agents make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $88,737. Whereas in California and Pennsylvania, they would average $86,703 and $84,958, respectively. While procurement agents would only make an average of $80,272 in Michigan, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Michigan

Total Procurement Agent Jobs: 1,130
Highest 10% Earn:
$122,000
Location Quotient:
1.29

$80,272

Avg. Salary

View 1,130 Procurement Agent Jobs In MI

2. Pennsylvania

Total Procurement Agent Jobs: 1,612
Highest 10% Earn:
$128,000
Location Quotient:
1.23

$84,958

Avg. Salary

View 1,612 Procurement Agent Jobs In PA

3. Vermont

Total Procurement Agent Jobs: 108
Highest 10% Earn:
$120,000
Location Quotient:
1.25

$79,262

Avg. Salary

View 108 Procurement Agent Jobs In VT
Full List Of Best States For Procurement Agents

How Do Procurement Agents Rate Their Jobs?

2/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Procurement Agent Reviews

2.0
Mar 2019
Pros

Negotiating with suppliers, influencing others, solving problems, making a positive difference to the company's bottom line.

Cons

Constant stress, lack of respect from other departments, lack of resources, poor advancement opportunities.

Working as a Procurement Agent? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Top Procurement Agent Employers

We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ procurement agents and discovered their number of procurement agent opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Boeing was the best, especially with an average salary of $64,301. Volt Information Sciences follows up with an average salary of $64,557, and then comes Spirit AeroSystems with an average of $73,066. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a procurement agent. The employers include Harley-Davidson, CDM Smith, and Boeing

Most Common Employers For Procurement Agent

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Schlumberger$95,213$45.7829
2The Dow Chemical Company$91,699$44.0939
3Grainger$86,879$41.7778
4Medtronic$83,757$40.2731
5John Deere$83,644$40.2185
6General Electric$81,042$38.9650
7Whirlpool$78,710$37.8430
8Spirit AeroSystems$73,066$35.1386
9Honeywell$71,446$34.3529
10CNH Industrial$70,638$33.9636
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Procurement Agent Videos

Purchasing Agent, Career Video from drkit.org
Career Advice on becoming a Procurement Officer by Elizabeth B (Full Version)

Becoming a Procurement Agent FAQs

How Do I Start A Career In Purchasing?

To start a career in purchasing, obtain a bachelor's degree. While a degree is technically not required for a career in purchasing, you will have difficulty getting hired without one.

Purchasing careers typically include purchasing agents and buyers, with the opportunity for advancement to purchasing manager. Nearly 70% of purchasing agents, 64% of buyers, and 66% of purchasing managers have bachelor's degrees.

Is Being A Purchasing Agent A Good Career?

Yes, being a purchasing agent is a good career. Purchasing agent careers are high-paid with a good job outlook, but advancement can be difficult, and the job can be stressful.

Purchasing agents are well-paid. On average, they make $72,270 a year, with an average starting salary of $53,000 for entry-level positions. Top earners make $108,000 a year, on average.

What Degree Do You Need To Be A Purchasing Agent?

There is not a degree you need to be a purchasing agent, though most purchasing agents have bachelor's degrees.

Nearly 70% of purchasing agents have their bachelor's degrees. The most common areas of study are:

What Skills Do You Need To Be A Purchasing Agent?

The skills you need to be a purchasing agent are analytical and interpersonal, in addition to basic math and digital knowledge.

Purchasing, or procurement, agents buy parts and materials their organization needs to function. They must keep up with market and sales trends and identify which purchases are most profitable and sustainable for their organization.

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated April 6, 2023