Purchasing department clerk vs purchasing agent

The differences between purchasing department clerks and purchasing agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a purchasing department clerk, becoming a purchasing agent takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a purchasing agent has an average salary of $51,950, which is higher than the $37,684 average annual salary of a purchasing department clerk.

The top three skills for a purchasing department clerk include purchase orders, data entry and expedite. The most important skills for a purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.

Purchasing department clerk vs purchasing agent overview

	Purchasing Department Clerk	Purchasing Agent
Yearly salary	$37,684	$51,950
Hourly rate	$18.12	$24.98
Growth rate	-3%	-
Number of jobs	102,459	45,856
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	46	48
Years of experience	2	6

Purchasing department clerk vs purchasing agent salary

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

	Purchasing Department Clerk	Purchasing Agent
Average salary	$37,684	$51,950
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $47,000	Between $37,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Abiomed
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between purchasing department clerk and purchasing agent education

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

	Purchasing Department Clerk	Purchasing Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing department clerk vs purchasing agent demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing department clerks' and purchasing agents' demographics:

	Purchasing Department Clerk	Purchasing Agent
Average age	46	48
Gender ratio	Male, 28.5% Female, 71.5%	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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 department clerk and purchasing agent duties and responsibilities

Purchasing department clerk example responsibilities.

Manage activities of purchasing, production planning and scheduling, inventory management, warehousing and logistics.
Check stock levels through use of MRP.
Process MRO orders and consumable material requisitions.
Review requisitions for MRO inventory and facilities maintenance agreements.
Complete accurate demographic and insurance information, including verification of insurance according to private, Medicaid, and/or Medicare guidelines.
Complete accurate demographic and insurance information, including verification of insurance according to private, Medicaid, and/or Medicare guidelines.

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 department clerk vs purchasing agent skills

Common purchasing department clerk skills

Purchase Orders, 52%
Data Entry, 38%
Expedite, 3%
Computer System, 3%
Surgery, 2%
Fax Machines, 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 Department Clerk
Purchasing Department Clerk vs Purchasing Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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