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The differences between purchasing assistants and purchasing administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a purchasing assistant, becoming a purchasing administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a purchasing assistant has an average salary of $38,331, which is higher than the $37,889 average annual salary of a purchasing administrative assistant.
The top three skills for a purchasing assistant include purchase orders, purchase requisitions and customer service. The most important skills for a purchasing administrative assistant are purchase orders, data entry, and customer service.
| Purchasing Assistant | Purchasing Administrative Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,331 | $37,889 |
| Hourly rate | $18.43 | $18.22 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 8,415 | 48,872 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A purchasing assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.
Purchasing Administrative Assistants will require a high school diploma or GED, but an associate degree or higher is preferred, as well as three or more years in a purchasing role. This career will require skills in communication and negotiation, as well as a proven history of good supply management and the ability to create and administer task priority lists based on the needs of the respective company. Paying an average salary of $42K per year, but ranging between $37K and $49K, this career choice will demand the provision of support to the purchasing process and department staff, processing documents and materials and responding to inquiries, as well as maintaining information and inventories about vendors and sources.
Purchasing assistants and purchasing administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Assistant | Purchasing Administrative Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,331 | $37,889 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $47,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Milpitas, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Aspen Snowmass |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Construction |
There are a few differences between a purchasing assistant and a purchasing administrative assistant in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Assistant | Purchasing Administrative Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between purchasing assistants' and purchasing administrative assistants' demographics:
| Purchasing Assistant | Purchasing Administrative Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% | Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |