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The differences between procurement assistants and procurement agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a procurement assistant, becoming a procurement agent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a procurement agent has an average salary of $72,384, which is higher than the $42,536 average annual salary of a procurement assistant.
The top three skills for a procurement assistant include purchase orders, logistics and data entry. The most important skills for a procurement agent are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and supplier performance.
| Procurement Assistant | Procurement Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $42,536 | $72,384 |
| Hourly rate | $20.45 | $34.80 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 6,681 | 45,198 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 46 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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 procurement agent develops profitable measures to save the client money and ensure the quality of goods supplied. Procurement agents obtain the purchased items through suppliers, monitor them, and expedite the orders. They oversee the activities and performance of the suppliers for compliance. Their duties include the verification of item receipts, resolving shipment-related problems, and authorizing purchase payments through documentation. The necessary skills for this job include being accomplished, decisive, and strong communication skills.
Procurement assistants and procurement agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Assistant | Procurement Agent | |
| Average salary | $42,536 | $72,384 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $56,000 | Between $49,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | Colorado Springs, CO | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Beacon Hill Staffing Group | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a procurement assistant and a procurement agent in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Assistant | Procurement Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between procurement assistants' and procurement agents' demographics:
| Procurement Assistant | Procurement Agent | |
| Average age | 46 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6% |
| 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, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |