Purchasing administrator vs planner/buyer

The differences between purchasing administrators and planner/buyers 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 planner/buyer. Additionally, a planner/buyer has an average salary of $54,261, 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 planner/buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and customer service.

Purchasing administrator vs planner/buyer overview

	Purchasing Administrator	Planner/Buyer
Yearly salary	$40,133	$54,261
Hourly rate	$19.29	$26.09
Growth rate	-8%	-3%
Number of jobs	63,681	33,452
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
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 planner/buyer do?

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. They are responsible for evaluating prospective suppliers based on their cost, product quality, and delivery times. They are also the ones who negotiate contracts specifying the payment terms, price, and delivery schedules. Most employers prefer their buyer to have earned a bachelor's degree with a major in operations management or business management.

Purchasing administrator vs planner/buyer salary

Purchasing administrators and planner/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchasing Administrator	Planner/Buyer
Average salary	$40,133	$54,261
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $37,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Billerica, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Rivian	Edwards Lifesciences
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between purchasing administrator and planner/buyer education

There are a few differences between a purchasing administrator and a planner/buyer in terms of educational background:

	Purchasing Administrator	Planner/Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing administrator vs planner/buyer demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing administrators' and planner/buyers' demographics:

	Purchasing Administrator	Planner/Buyer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between purchasing administrator and planner/buyer 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.

Planner/buyer example responsibilities.

Manage assign commodities by communicating MRP changes to the suppliers, minimizing obsolete inventory while achieving the optimum inventory levels.
Manage monthly and year end physical inventory audits of all raw materials, WIP, and finish goods.
Manage inventory pipelines from NPI to manufacturing and/or offshore contract manufacturers.
Utilize company ERP system for inventory management and schedule optimization.
Plan and coordinate all material requirements of assign commodities and supplier availability utilizing the MRP system.
Synchronize with packers and freight forwarders to arrange and prepare documentation shipment export.

Purchasing administrator vs planner/buyer skills

Common purchasing administrator skills

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

Common planner/buyer skills

Supply Chain, 14%
Purchase Orders, 14%
Customer Service, 7%
MRP, 6%
ERP, 3%
Logistics, 3%

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Purchasing Administrator
Purchasing Administrator vs Planner/Buyer

Updated January 8, 2025

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