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The differences between procurement supervisors and purchasing managers 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 purchasing manager. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $72,602 average annual salary of a procurement supervisor.
The top three skills for a procurement supervisor include logistics, purchase orders and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.
| Procurement Supervisor | Purchasing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $72,602 | $98,118 |
| Hourly rate | $34.90 | $47.17 |
| Growth rate | 11% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,985 | 30,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 48 | 47 |
| 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.
A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.
Procurement supervisors and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Supervisor | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average salary | $72,602 | $98,118 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $100,000 | Between $70,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maine |
| Best paying company | Natera | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a procurement supervisor and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Supervisor | Purchasing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between procurement supervisors' and purchasing managers' demographics:
| Procurement Supervisor | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |