Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between procurement supervisors and planner/buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a procurement supervisor and a planner/buyer. Additionally, a procurement supervisor has an average salary of $72,602, which is higher than the $54,261 average annual salary of a planner/buyer.
The top three skills for a procurement supervisor include logistics, purchase orders and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a planner/buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Procurement Supervisor | Planner/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,602 | $54,261 |
| Hourly rate | $34.90 | $26.09 |
| Growth rate | 11% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 16,985 | 33,452 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Procurement supervisors are professionals who supervise the activities and work of procurement personnel while participating in the implementation of goals and priorities for an organization's procurement activities and operations. These supervisors are required to conduct technical audits on logistics equipment and analyze logistics data to identify opportunities for improvement in performance and output. They must implement an inventory management system that will reduce inventory shortages while increasing turn rates. Procurement supervisors must also prepare purchase orders for goods and services to improve customer satisfaction.
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.
Procurement supervisors and planner/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Supervisor | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $72,602 | $54,261 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $100,000 | Between $37,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Natera | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a procurement supervisor and a planner/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Supervisor | Planner/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between procurement supervisors' and planner/buyers' demographics:
| Procurement Supervisor | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |