Purchasing administrator vs purchasing agent

The differences between purchasing administrators and purchasing agents 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 purchasing agent. Additionally, a purchasing agent has an average salary of $51,950, 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 purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing agent overview

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Agent
Yearly salary	$40,133	$51,950
Hourly rate	$19.29	$24.98
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	63,681	45,856
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
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 purchasing agent do?

A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing agent salary

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Agent
Average salary	$40,133	$51,950
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $37,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Maryland
Best paying company	Rivian	Abiomed
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between purchasing administrator and purchasing agent education

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing agent demographics

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Agent
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between purchasing administrator and purchasing agent 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.

Purchasing agent example responsibilities.

Reorganize MRO to manage inventory more efficiently.
Utilize MaCola ERP system to process and manage purchase requisitions and purchase orders in coordination with manufacturing forecast.
Process purchase orders from electronically generate RFQ'S.
Develop programs with suppliers to ensure that commodities meet engineering and quality specifications while maintaining on-time delivery.
Prepare purchase orders, RFP's and RFB's, advertise solicitations, review responses and approve contract acceptance.
Send out RFQ's and award orders to the best fit and price vendor to ensure manufacturing meets critical due dates.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing agent skills

Common purchasing administrator skills

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

Common purchasing agent skills

Purchase Orders, 30%
Customer Service, 12%
Logistics, 5%
Inventory Control, 4%
MRP, 3%
Cost Savings, 3%

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Purchasing Administrator
Purchasing Administrator vs Purchasing Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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