Purchasing manager vs director, procurement

The differences between purchasing managers and directors, procurement 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 manager and a director, procurement. Additionally, a director, procurement has an average salary of $140,058, which is higher than the $98,118 average annual salary of a purchasing manager.

The top three skills for a purchasing manager include supply chain, strategic sourcing and project management. The most important skills for a director, procurement are strategic sourcing, supplier performance, and continuous improvement.

Purchasing manager vs director, procurement overview

	Purchasing Manager	Director, Procurement
Yearly salary	$98,118	$140,058
Hourly rate	$47.17	$67.34
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	30,430	18,037
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a purchasing manager do?

A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.

What does a director, procurement do?

The responsibilities of a procurement director revolve around ensuring the efficient and smooth flow of supplies within the company, developing procurement strategies for optimal services and operations, assessing risks, and overseeing the implementation of new policies and regulations in the company. It is essential to coordinate with analysts to identify areas with potential opportunities or those needing improvements. Moreover, a director, procurement may directly communicate with stakeholders or higher-ranking officials, participate in recruiting new members of the workforce, and create programs for profit growth and significant results.

Purchasing manager vs director, procurement salary

Purchasing managers and directors, procurement have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchasing Manager	Director, Procurement
Average salary	$98,118	$140,058
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $136,000	Between $98,000 And $199,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	Apple
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between purchasing manager and director, procurement education

There are a few differences between a purchasing manager and a director, procurement in terms of educational background:

	Purchasing Manager	Director, Procurement
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Purchasing manager vs director, procurement demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing managers' and directors, procurement' demographics:

	Purchasing Manager	Director, Procurement
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0%	Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between purchasing manager and director, procurement duties and responsibilities

Purchasing manager example responsibilities.

Manage payroll and accounts payable.
Lead major purchasing projects for automotive OEM vehicles.
Used RFI, RFP, RFQ techniques to identify, select, and engage with suppliers to ensure competitive market advantage.
Establish an integrate MRO supply program which eliminate specific company manage buying, inventory control and warehousing functions.
Manage all procurement activities to support manufacturing operations including raw materials, tooling, components and MRO services.
Manage several indirect sourcing RFP projects including categories for translation services, payroll services, capital equipment and engineering services.

Director, procurement example responsibilities.

Develop and deploy integrated visual MRP tools to forecast and manage a constrain and vary purchasing model.
Develop and lead cross-functional team to correct and optimize company ERP system resulting in an efficient order and fulfillment process.
Manage RFP authoring and all aspects of the proposal/bidding process for special bond programs, SPLOST, and typical departmental needs.
Centralize vendor management, outsource/off-shore vendor restructure master agreements and manage RFP process.
Lead several highly visible project which require project oversight, budget management and ongoing communication.
Develop a global sourcing & production strategy and vendor matrix appropriate for all product lines including apparel and textiles.

Purchasing manager vs director, procurement skills

Common purchasing manager skills

Supply Chain, 15%
Strategic Sourcing, 7%
Project Management, 5%
Supplier Performance, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
Purchase Orders, 4%

Common director, procurement skills

Strategic Sourcing, 7%
Supplier Performance, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 5%
Logistics, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Lean Manufacturing, 4%

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Purchasing Manager vs Director, Procurement

Updated January 8, 2025

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