Purchasing administrator vs purchasing buyer

The differences between purchasing administrators and purchasing 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 purchasing buyer. Additionally, a purchasing buyer has an average salary of $47,471, 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 buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing buyer overview

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Yearly salary	$40,133	$47,471
Hourly rate	$19.29	$22.82
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	63,681	21,158
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
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 buyer do?

In a retail setting, a purchasing buyer is primarily responsible for devising strategies for procuring supplies, ensuring that it aligns with the company's needs and standards. They are also responsible for conducting thorough marketing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather and process documentation, liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers, and keeping track of all purchasing orders to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a purchasing buyer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and submit regular reports to supervisors.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing buyer salary

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Average salary	$40,133	$47,471
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $35,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Goleta, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Rivian	Aramco Services Company
Best paying industry	Health Care	Automotive

Differences between purchasing administrator and purchasing buyer education

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing buyer demographics

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%
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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between purchasing administrator and purchasing 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.

Purchasing buyer example responsibilities.

Manage the development of RFP process per departmental and legal requirements.
Create and manage requisitions, code billing statements and reconcile monthly bills in PeopleSoft.
Manage logistics and materials receive for appropriate quantities, timeliness and accuracy to complete project project.
Complete request for quotation (RFQ), design reviews, and advance product quality planning (APQP).
Used MRP to track and develop orders for electronic and mechanical commodities for high volume 32,000 a day unit product.
Make purchasing decisions base on the examination and recommendations of the ERP planning system and issuing and maintaining supplier purchase orders.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing buyer skills

Common purchasing administrator skills

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

Common purchasing buyer skills

Purchase Orders, 29%
Logistics, 6%
Cost Savings, 5%
ERP, 4%
MRP, 4%
RFQ, 4%

Purchasing Administrator vs. similar jobs

Purchasing Administrator related careers

Purchasing Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Purchasing Administrator
Purchasing Administrator vs Purchasing Buyer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs