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Best states for a purchasing manager
Quoted expert
Terry McKee
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and executive management careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to purchasing manager jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for purchasing managers.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of purchasing managers in America is $136,000.
We figured that the best places for purchasing manager jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the South is best for purchasing managers, and the Northeast is the worst. Richmond, CA is the best city in the country for purchasing manager jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for purchasing managers in 2026
1. Washington
Total purchasing manager jobs: 658 Average annual salary: $105,512 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. Michigan
Total purchasing manager jobs: 576 Average annual salary: $101,187 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
3. Connecticut
Total purchasing manager jobs: 312 Average annual salary: $102,129 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
4. California
Total purchasing manager jobs: 2,618 Average annual salary: $109,540 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
5. Massachusetts
Total purchasing manager jobs: 728 Average annual salary: $101,358 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. Maine
Total purchasing manager jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $112,351 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
7. New Jersey
Total purchasing manager jobs: 566 Average annual salary: $103,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. Pennsylvania
Total purchasing manager jobs: 825 Average annual salary: $95,551 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1
9. New York
Total purchasing manager jobs: 942 Average annual salary: $102,892 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
10. Vermont
Total purchasing manager jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $108,280 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
Purchasing manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a purchasing manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a purchasing manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $105,512 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 658 |
| 2 | Michigan | $101,187 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 576 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $102,129 | $73,000 | 3,588,184 | 312 |
| 4 | California | $109,540 | $75,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,618 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $101,358 | $73,000 | 6,859,819 | 728 |
| 6 | Maine | $112,351 | $82,000 | 1,335,907 | 67 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $103,664 | $74,000 | 9,005,644 | 566 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $95,551 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 825 |
| 9 | New York | $102,892 | $74,000 | 19,849,399 | 942 |
| 10 | Vermont | $108,280 | $79,000 | 623,657 | 36 |
| 11 | Illinois | $94,614 | $66,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,072 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $94,467 | $66,000 | 5,795,483 | 362 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $96,369 | $70,000 | 1,059,639 | 78 |
| 14 | Indiana | $90,778 | $63,000 | 6,666,818 | 447 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $97,292 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 199 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $91,182 | $63,000 | 10,273,419 | 637 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $94,275 | $68,000 | 1,342,795 | 110 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $90,307 | $62,000 | 4,454,189 | 235 |
| 19 | Ohio | $90,308 | $63,000 | 11,658,609 | 651 |
| 20 | Oregon | $95,723 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 260 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $90,471 | $63,000 | 5,576,606 | 464 |
| 22 | Idaho | $91,398 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 82 |
| 23 | Maryland | $92,060 | $65,000 | 6,052,177 | 532 |
| 24 | Arizona | $86,701 | $58,000 | 7,016,270 | 513 |
| 25 | Delaware | $92,739 | $66,000 | 961,939 | 74 |
| 26 | Nevada | $88,794 | $60,000 | 2,998,039 | 113 |
| 27 | Virginia | $91,730 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 650 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $86,627 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 311 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $82,774 | $55,000 | 3,004,279 | 196 |
| 30 | Alaska | $89,018 | $70,000 | 739,795 | 59 |
| 31 | Montana | $89,470 | $61,000 | 1,050,493 | 49 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $87,372 | $60,000 | 869,666 | 33 |
| 33 | Kansas | $84,775 | $58,000 | 2,913,123 | 180 |
| 34 | Missouri | $83,959 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 411 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $85,793 | $58,000 | 579,315 | 25 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $83,006 | $58,000 | 1,815,857 | 78 |
| 37 | Texas | $81,635 | $53,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,428 |
| 38 | Utah | $82,935 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 202 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $71,932 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 80 |
| 40 | Iowa | $82,973 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 202 |
| 41 | Georgia | $77,971 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 828 |
| 42 | Colorado | $78,358 | $53,000 | 5,607,154 | 440 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $82,818 | $56,000 | 1,920,076 | 83 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $81,736 | $55,000 | 2,088,070 | 63 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $78,258 | $53,000 | 5,024,369 | 241 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $77,091 | $54,000 | 755,393 | 39 |
| 47 | Florida | $68,057 | $44,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,042 |
| 48 | Alabama | $75,597 | $50,000 | 4,874,747 | 192 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $77,796 | $52,000 | 3,930,864 | 87 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $76,312 | $50,000 | 2,984,100 | 77 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $71,814 | $46,000 | 4,684,333 | 133 |
Highest paying states for purchasing managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Purchasing Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $105,512 |
| 2 | Michigan | $101,187 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $102,129 |
| 4 | California | $109,540 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $101,358 |
| 6 | Maine | $112,351 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $103,664 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $95,551 |
| 9 | New York | $102,892 |
| 10 | Vermont | $108,280 |
| 11 | Illinois | $94,614 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $94,467 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $96,369 |
| 14 | Indiana | $90,778 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $97,292 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $91,182 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $94,275 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $90,307 |
| 19 | Ohio | $90,308 |
| 20 | Oregon | $95,723 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $90,471 |
| 22 | Idaho | $91,398 |
| 23 | Maryland | $92,060 |
| 24 | Arizona | $86,701 |
| 25 | Delaware | $92,739 |
| 26 | Nevada | $88,794 |
| 27 | Virginia | $91,730 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $86,627 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $82,774 |
| 30 | Alaska | $89,018 |
| 31 | Montana | $89,470 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $87,372 |
| 33 | Kansas | $84,775 |
| 34 | Missouri | $83,959 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $85,793 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $83,006 |
| 37 | Texas | $81,635 |
| 38 | Utah | $82,935 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $71,932 |
| 40 | Iowa | $82,973 |
| 41 | Georgia | $77,971 |
| 42 | Colorado | $78,358 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $82,818 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $81,736 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $78,258 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $77,091 |
| 47 | Florida | $68,057 |
| 48 | Alabama | $75,597 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $77,796 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $76,312 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $71,814 |
Expert opinions on the best states for purchasing managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for purchasing managers to find work opportunities?
Terry McKee
IT & Procurement Director, Knoxville Community Development Corporation
The baby boom generation is retiring rapidly and is creating openings. In 2017, Politico reported that 13% of federal government workers were over 60, 25% were over 55, and only 17% were millennials. These statistics would likely hold true for local governments, too. In general, the states with higher populations will have the most openings: California, Texas, Florida, for example. However, Virginia and Washington D.C. also will have many opportunities due to the high concentration of government offices in these areas. That does not mean that other areas have no opportunities. For instance, within Knox County (where my office is) there at least 10 governmental entities. Each of these entities has one or more procurement offices. Find an area of the country which you love, and then find a job to serve the citizens.
Purchasing manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025