Purchaser vs owner

The differences between purchasers and owners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a purchaser, becoming an owner takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, an owner has an average salary of $90,334, which is higher than the $50,031 average annual salary of a purchaser.

The top three skills for a purchaser include purchase orders, FDA and POS. The most important skills for an owner are customer service, payroll, and financial statements.

Purchaser vs owner overview

	Purchaser	Owner
Yearly salary	$50,031	$90,334
Hourly rate	$24.05	$43.43
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	6,852	86,486
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	48	52
Years of experience	6	-

What does a purchaser do?

A Purchaser is responsible for buying goods and services from distribution centers to sell to customers or other companies. They conduct data analysis and research current market trends to identify public demands and generate resources that would increase the company's revenues and profitability. They also ensure the adequacy of supply inventories for deliveries, respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, and recommend products according to their needs and budget requirements. A Purchaser must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in documenting purchase transactions and negotiating contracts with suppliers and vendors.

What does an owner do?

Owners, in the most basic sense, own the business, company, or organization. They are responsible for building the business. They create business plans and the general vision and mission of the company, set goals, work on these goals, and ensure that the business keeps running. They manage all aspects of their business, from finances to marketing to people, etc. When the business becomes stable, owners eventually hire more employees. As such, owners also become overseers who would ensure that the organization remains afloat.

Purchaser vs owner salary

Purchasers and owners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchaser	Owner
Average salary	$50,031	$90,334
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $68,000	Between $60,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	Atlantic City, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Barnes Group	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between purchaser and owner education

There are a few differences between a purchaser and an owner in terms of educational background:

	Purchaser	Owner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchaser vs owner demographics

Here are the differences between purchasers' and owners' demographics:

	Purchaser	Owner
Average age	48	52
Gender ratio	Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
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, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	12%

Differences between purchaser and owner duties and responsibilities

Purchaser example responsibilities.

Purchase components for production; run daily production schedule; manage inventory of items; source alternative items for production
Work extensively with customers to identify business and project requirements through RFI's, RFP's, and RFQ's.
Handle RFQ (request for quotation) and the RFB (request for bid).
Insure day to day operations run smoothly.
Operate ERP system in factory and keep the data update.
Order parts & MRO items as needed for production workers.

Show more

Owner example responsibilities.

Manage web content and a PHP / MySQL application.
Create and develop a website to help clients easily manage their instagram account to gain exposure.
Execute all social media marketing and manage the company Facebook page/campaigns.
Manage human resource functions by generating payroll, scheduling and upholding company policies.
License Maryland home improvement contractor managing a small home improvement business that specializes in doors and windows.
Manage end to end business operations including hiring, scheduling visits, conducting customer consultations and performing pet visits.

Show more

Purchaser vs owner skills

Common purchaser skills

Purchase Orders, 38%
FDA, 7%
POS, 6%
Commodities, 5%
Logistics, 4%
Expedite, 3%

Common owner skills

Customer Service, 25%
Payroll, 17%
Financial Statements, 8%
Product Development, 7%
Real Estate, 3%
Business Development, 3%

Purchaser vs. similar jobs

Purchaser related careers

Purchaser related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z