Purchasing administrator vs purchasing supervisor

The differences between purchasing administrators and purchasing supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a purchasing supervisor has an average salary of $68,702, 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 supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing supervisor overview

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Yearly salary	$40,133	$68,702
Hourly rate	$19.29	$33.03
Growth rate	-8%	-6%
Number of jobs	63,681	19,412
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
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 supervisor do?

A purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing supervisor salary

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Average salary	$40,133	$68,702
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $53,000	Between $45,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Rivian	CDW
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between purchasing administrator and purchasing supervisor education

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing supervisor demographics

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

	Purchasing Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
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, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between purchasing administrator and purchasing supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage increasing procurement demands of inventory/supplies for manufacturing activities base on an ERP MRP system.
Lead and analyze all RFQ's, RFI's and RFP's from different qualify vendors.
Interview current and prospective suppliers to determine supplier capabilities, logistics and inventory control and management while negotiate delivery terms.
Review requisitions and RFP's, obtain quotations, negotiate pricing, examine bids and award contracts.
Assist in the yearly budgeting process including RFQ's and establishing contracts both locally and at the corporate level.
Direct large projects by creating RFP's, cost negotiation, and bid analysis on specifications and budget cost provided.

Purchasing administrator vs purchasing supervisor skills

Common purchasing administrator skills

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

Common purchasing supervisor skills

Purchase Orders, 20%
MRP, 5%
Supplier Performance, 4%
Logistics, 4%
Corrective Action, 4%
On-Time Delivery, 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 Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs