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Purchasing buyer vs purchaser

The differences between purchasing buyers and purchasers 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 buyer and a purchaser. Additionally, a purchaser has an average salary of $50,031, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.

The top three skills for a purchasing buyer include purchase orders, logistics and cost savings. The most important skills for a purchaser are purchase orders, FDA, and POS.

Purchasing buyer vs purchaser overview

Purchasing BuyerPurchaser
Yearly salary$47,471$50,031
Hourly rate$22.82$24.05
Growth rate--
Number of jobs21,1586,852
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age4848
Years of experience66

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.

What does a purchaser do?

A Purchaser is responsible for buying goods and services from distribution centers to sell to customers or other companies. They conduct data analysis and research current market trends to identify public demands and generate resources that would increase the company's revenues and profitability. They also ensure the adequacy of supply inventories for deliveries, respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, and recommend products according to their needs and budget requirements. A Purchaser must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in documenting purchase transactions and negotiating contracts with suppliers and vendors.

Purchasing buyer vs purchaser salary

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

Purchasing BuyerPurchaser
Average salary$47,471$50,031
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $62,000Between $36,000 And $68,000
Highest paying CityGoleta, CAAtlantic City, NJ
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyAramco Services CompanyBarnes Group
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between purchasing buyer and purchaser education

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

Purchasing BuyerPurchaser
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Purchasing buyer vs purchaser demographics

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

Purchasing BuyerPurchaser
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 41.9% Female, 58.1%Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between purchasing buyer and purchaser duties and responsibilities

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.
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Purchaser example responsibilities.

  • Purchase components for production; run daily production schedule; manage inventory of items; source alternative items for production
  • Work extensively with customers to identify business and project requirements through RFI's, RFP's, and RFQ's.
  • Handle RFQ (request for quotation) and the RFB (request for bid).
  • Insure day to day operations run smoothly.
  • Operate ERP system in factory and keep the data update.
  • Order parts & MRO items as needed for production workers.
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Purchasing buyer vs purchaser skills

Common purchasing buyer skills
  • Purchase Orders, 29%
  • Logistics, 6%
  • Cost Savings, 5%
  • ERP, 4%
  • MRP, 4%
  • RFQ, 4%
Common purchaser skills
  • Purchase Orders, 38%
  • FDA, 7%
  • POS, 6%
  • Commodities, 5%
  • Logistics, 4%
  • Expedite, 3%

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