Purchasing administrator vs contracts administrator

The differences between purchasing administrators and contracts administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a purchasing administrator and a contracts administrator. Additionally, a contracts administrator has an average salary of $52,876, which is higher than the $40,133 average annual salary of a purchasing administrator.

The top three skills for a purchasing administrator include purchase orders, invoice and data entry. The most important skills for a contracts administrator are contract administration, customer service, and contract management.

Purchasing administrator vs contracts administrator overview

	Purchasing Administrator	Contracts Administrator
Yearly salary	$40,133	$52,876
Hourly rate	$19.29	$25.42
Growth rate	-8%	-6%
Number of jobs	63,681	58,038
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a purchasing administrator do?

A purchasing administrator is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's purchasing procedures. As a purchasing administrator, it is their duty to monitor the company's inventory of supplies, gather and analyze purchase requests, and process purchase orders, resolving issues should there be any. They must also negotiate with vendors and suppliers, building positive relationships with them. Furthermore, as a purchasing administrator, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions, producing progress reports regularly for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a contracts administrator do?

Contract administrators create and manage legal contracts from which the company participates. They ensure that all entities to the contract will accomplish their obligations, as indicated in the contract. They usually work for larger organizations that might be involved with different or highly complex contracts. These organizations spread across a range of industries, including government, construction, and healthcare. Their responsibilities include addressing any conflicts of questions regarding the contract, analyzing the possible risks posed by contracts, and working alongside the legal and procurement teams.

Purchasing administrator vs contracts administrator salary

Purchasing administrators and contracts administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchasing Administrator	Contracts Administrator
Average salary	$40,133	$52,876
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $35,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Washington	Maryland
Best paying company	Rivian	Ngam Advisors, L.P.
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between purchasing administrator and contracts administrator education

There are a few differences between a purchasing administrator and a contracts administrator in terms of educational background:

	Purchasing Administrator	Contracts Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing administrator vs contracts administrator demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing administrators' and contracts administrators' demographics:

	Purchasing Administrator	Contracts Administrator
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 7.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between purchasing administrator and contracts administrator duties and responsibilities

Purchasing administrator example 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.

Contracts administrator example responsibilities.

Manage communication between both interviewees and candidates regarding interview logistics.
Coordinate requirements and interface with other division personnel to accomplish timely and cost effective procurement of assign commodities.
Optimize GPO department operating efficiency with cleanup, data analysis, and rebate reconciliation projects.
Ensure ERP data management for customer info and contract.
Mentor employees new to the duties and responsibilities of an SCA.
Utilize SQL queries, advance excel formulas, functions and project scheduling tools.

Purchasing administrator vs contracts administrator skills

Common purchasing administrator skills

Purchase Orders, 33%
Invoice, 10%
Data Entry, 10%
ERP, 4%
Office Equipment, 2%
Credit Card, 2%

Common contracts administrator skills

Contract Administration, 11%
Customer Service, 7%
Contract Management, 6%
Proposal Preparation, 5%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Contract Terms, 5%

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Purchasing Administrator
Purchasing Administrator vs Contracts Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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