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The differences between procurement assistants and contractor buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a procurement assistant and a contractor buyer. Additionally, a procurement assistant has an average salary of $42,536, which is higher than the $40,785 average annual salary of a contractor buyer.
The top three skills for a procurement assistant include purchase orders, logistics and data entry. The most important skills for a contractor buyer are customer service, purchase orders, and data entry.
| Procurement Assistant | Contractor Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $42,536 | $40,785 |
| Hourly rate | $20.45 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | -3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 6,681 | 22,985 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Procurement assistants provide administrative support for a company's procurement department through inventory monitoring, ordering supplies, and scheduling deliveries in order to ensure that the company has the necessary materials. It is a career that will appeal to those with work experience as a buyer or purchasing agent and have skills in business, economics, logistics, supply chain management, or purchasing.
A contractor buyer is responsible for acquiring materials and resources for construction and manufacturing processes that meet the quality standards and budget limitations. Contractor buyers negotiate offers with trusted suppliers and vendors for cost-effective materials based on design specifications and requirements. They also monitor the accurate distribution and delivery schedules to maintain the consistency of project plans and finish the task within the required deadlines. A contractor buyer must have excellent knowledge of the construction industry to identify the reliability of resources and handle the costings efficiently.
Procurement assistants and contractor buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Assistant | Contractor Buyer | |
| Average salary | $42,536 | $40,785 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $56,000 | Between $32,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Colorado Springs, CO | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Beacon Hill Staffing Group | Johnson Controls |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a procurement assistant and a contractor buyer in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Assistant | Contractor Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between procurement assistants' and contractor buyers' demographics:
| Procurement Assistant | Contractor Buyer | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |