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The differences between procurement engineers and purchasing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a procurement engineer, becoming a purchasing assistant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a procurement engineer has an average salary of $75,682, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for a procurement engineer include project management, cost reduction and supplier quality. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Procurement Engineer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $75,682 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $36.39 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 28,571 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Procurement engineers are professionals who are responsible for procuring technical goods and services that are used in the industrial operation of an organization. These engineers must evaluate all new and existing suppliers and negotiate purchase agreements to ensure that the purchased goods and services are delivered as promised. They must ensure that all the machines and equipment are following the quality and performance standards of the facility. Procurement engineers must also choose appropriate suppliers by analyzing and comparing their products and prices.
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.
Procurement engineers and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Engineer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $75,682 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $105,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Apple | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a procurement engineer and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Engineer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between procurement engineers' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Procurement Engineer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.1% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 7% |