How to hire a purchasing administrator

How to hire a purchasing administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step purchasing administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a purchasing administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new purchasing administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a purchasing administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the purchasing administrator you need to hire. Certain purchasing administrator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect purchasing administrator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents purchasing administrator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Purchasing Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Purchasing Administrator	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$14-25
   Buyer	A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products... Show more	$17-36
   Planner/Buyer	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... Show more	$17-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Purchase Orders
   • Invoice
   • Data Entry
   • ERP
   • Office Equipment
   • Credit Card
   • Card Program
   • Inventory Control
   • P-Card
   • Cost Savings
   • POS
   • Delivery Dates
   • Administrative Functions
   • Place Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the RFP preparation and analysis, cost negotiations, and vendor performance management.
   • Manage logistics and materials receive for appropriate quantities, timeliness and accuracy to complete project project.
   • Resolve RMA s on all engineering material.
   • Schedule product delivery against customer needs and MRP.
   • Administer the ISO 9001 and vendor performance evaluation process.
   • Maintain and update supplier master information in the ERP system.

   More purchasing administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your purchasing administrator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A purchasing administrator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, purchasing administrators' average salary in south carolina is 40% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level purchasing administrators 43% less than senior-level purchasing administrators.
   • Certifications. A purchasing administrator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a purchasing administrator's salary.

   Average purchasing administrator salary

   $40,133yearly

   $19.29 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level purchasing administrator salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average purchasing administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$48,928	$24
   2	Massachusetts	$47,826	$23
   3	Illinois	$46,059	$22
   4	New York	$44,420	$21
   5	Colorado	$43,012	$21
   6	New Hampshire	$40,246	$19
   7	Minnesota	$39,426	$19
   8	Florida	$38,467	$18
   9	Texas	$37,068	$18
   10	Virginia	$36,990	$18
   11	Arizona	$36,325	$17
   12	Indiana	$35,238	$17
   13	North Carolina	$34,455	$17
   14	Ohio	$33,738	$16
   15	Tennessee	$32,180	$15

   Average purchasing administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Rivian	$71,504	$34.38
   2	Sanmina	$52,272	$25.13	11
   3	ARA	$51,803	$24.91	9
   4	Balfour Beatty plc	$51,394	$24.71	5
   5	Lockheed Martin	$47,138	$22.66	196
   6	EMCOR Group	$46,082	$22.15	20
   7	J.F. Shea Co	$45,828	$22.03
   8	Nucor	$44,572	$21.43	17
   9	Interprise Design	$41,722	$20.06
   10	Middlesex School	$41,105	$19.76
   11	The Manufacturers' Association	$40,907	$19.67
   12	Hajoca	$40,815	$19.62	11
   13	M/I Homes	$40,154	$19.30	29
   14	Marriott International	$39,931	$19.20	49
   15	Hunton Group	$39,595	$19.04	2
   16	Morgan Advanced Materials And Technology Inc	$39,377	$18.93
   17	K Hovnanian Companies Of New York Inc	$39,241	$18.87	2
   18	Goken America	$39,203	$18.85
   19	Colorado State Express	$39,197	$18.84
   20	Southern Air	$39,159	$18.83

4. Writing a purchasing administrator job description

   A good purchasing administrator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a purchasing administrator job description:

   Purchasing administrator job description example

   Payrate : $20.00 per hour

   Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm

   The Company:

   This company manages the entire chemical life cycle for the plant. All the chemicals that FCA uses throughout the day is managed through this company. They are responsible for the inventory, compliance, and disposal.

   Main Job Duties:

   All purchasing-related activities including creating and placing purchase orders and receipt entry.

   Managing inventory and order flow.

   Provides technical support including preventive maintenance, problem identification and resolution, and maximization of material use.

   Works with internal customers, working on-site to create process efficiencies; identifies cost-saving opportunities and sets goals for achievement.

   Understands customers' material use in manufacturing processes and provides appropriate recommendations for coolants, lubricants, cleaners, and other applicable materials.

   Research product information from suppliers, manufacturers, internet, and reference sources.

   Works with EHS Departments to ensure compliance with all regulatory and environmental standards.

   Makes presentations to internal/external management and personnel, communicating test findings and offering appropriate recommendations on processes.

   If interested and wanting more information, please contact Randy via:

   Phone: Email:

   About Aston Carter:

   Please Note: Scammers are posing as Aston Carter. We'll never contact you via Gmail, Telegram, or WhatsApp and we'll never solicit money from you.

   At Aston Carter, we're dedicated to expanding career opportunities for the skilled professionals who power our business. Our success is driven by the talented, motivated people who join our team across a range of positions - from recruiting, sales and delivery to corporate roles. As part of our team, employees have the opportunity for long-term career success, where hard work is rewarded and the potential for growth is limitless.

   Established in 1997, Aston Carter is a leading staffing and consulting firm, providing high-caliber talent and premium services to more than 7,000 companies across North America. Spanning four continents and more than 200 offices, we extend our clients' capabilities by seeking solvers and delivering solutions to address today's workforce challenges. For organizations looking for innovative solutions shaped by critical-thinking professionals, visit . Aston Carter is a company within Allegis Group, a global leader in talent solutions.

   The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

   If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please call or email for other accommodation options. However, if you have questions about this position, please contact the Recruiter located at the bottom of the job posting. The Recruiter is the sole point of contact for questions about this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right purchasing administrator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with purchasing administrators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit purchasing administrators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your purchasing administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit purchasing administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting purchasing administrators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new purchasing administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect purchasing administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new purchasing administrator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a purchasing administrator?