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The differences between purchasing administrative assistants and assistant buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a purchasing administrative assistant, becoming an assistant buyer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, an assistant buyer has an average salary of $49,586, which is higher than the $37,889 average annual salary of a purchasing administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a purchasing administrative assistant include purchase orders, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for an assistant buyer are purchase orders, vendor relations, and customer service.
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Assistant Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,889 | $49,586 |
| Hourly rate | $18.22 | $23.84 |
| Growth rate | -8% | - |
| Number of jobs | 48,872 | 15,090 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Purchasing Administrative Assistants will require a high school diploma or GED, but an associate degree or higher is preferred, as well as three or more years in a purchasing role. This career will require skills in communication and negotiation, as well as a proven history of good supply management and the ability to create and administer task priority lists based on the needs of the respective company. Paying an average salary of $42K per year, but ranging between $37K and $49K, this career choice will demand the provision of support to the purchasing process and department staff, processing documents and materials and responding to inquiries, as well as maintaining information and inventories about vendors and sources.
An assistant buyer participates and assists in the procurement procedures in a retail company. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around selecting products according to company guidelines, handling and organizing purchase orders, and monitoring the budget. An assistant buyer may also have administrative support tasks such as responding to calls and correspondence, preparing paperwork and progress reports, arranging schedules, keeping records of invoices and inventory, and staying updated with trends. Furthermore, an assistant buyer must reach out to new suppliers and engage with vendors to maintain and establish a positive business relationship.
Purchasing administrative assistants and assistant buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Assistant Buyer | |
| Average salary | $37,889 | $49,586 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $48,000 | Between $36,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milpitas, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Aspen Snowmass | Fashion Nova |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a purchasing administrative assistant and an assistant buyer in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Assistant Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities |
Here are the differences between purchasing administrative assistants' and assistant buyers' demographics:
| Purchasing Administrative Assistant | Assistant Buyer | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7% | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 6.6% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |