Purchasing manager vs production control manager

The differences between purchasing managers and production control managers 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 manager, becoming a production control manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $89,453 average annual salary of a production control manager.

The top three skills for a purchasing manager include supply chain, strategic sourcing and project management. The most important skills for a production control manager are continuous improvement, logistics, and delivery performance.

Purchasing manager vs production control manager overview

	Purchasing Manager	Production Control Manager
Yearly salary	$98,118	$89,453
Hourly rate	$47.17	$43.01
Growth rate	-6%	3%
Number of jobs	30,430	92,439
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	47	48
Years of experience	6	2

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 production control manager do?

A project control manager is an executive who manages, develops, and coordinates the schedules of production in the industrial environment. Production control managers make sure of the flow of parts, materials, and assemblies within or between departments. Typically, they handle the production workers. They make certain that manufacturing processes operate efficiently and reliably. Part of their responsibilities includes the estimation, negotiation, and agreement of timescales and budgets with the clients and the other managers. Among the qualifications for this job include a specialty in electrical engineering, communications, or business management.

Purchasing manager vs production control manager salary

Purchasing managers and production control managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchasing Manager	Production Control Manager
Average salary	$98,118	$89,453
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $136,000	Between $54,000 And $147,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Maine	Massachusetts
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	NVIDIA
Best paying industry	Technology	Automotive

Differences between purchasing manager and production control manager education

There are a few differences between a purchasing manager and a production control manager in terms of educational background:

	Purchasing Manager	Production Control Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Purchasing manager vs production control manager demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing managers' and production control managers' demographics:

	Purchasing Manager	Production Control Manager
Average age	47	48
Gender ratio	Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0%	Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5%
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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	8%

Differences between purchasing manager and production control manager 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.

Production control manager example responsibilities.

Manage production team to company goals through the use of KPI's.
Document department processes to achieve ISO certification.
Manage site operational support functions including scheduling, vendor certification, purchasing, materials planning, inventory management and logistics.
Contact various suppliers for monthly ECO updates, changes, price negotiations and order cancellations.
Monitor each lines plan and actual to ensure optimal line balancing, WIP control, and elimination of over production
Work with QA and production to ensure quality parts and that all ISO standards are met in compliance with the customer.

Purchasing manager vs production control manager skills

Common purchasing manager skills

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

Common production control manager skills

Continuous Improvement, 7%
Logistics, 6%
Delivery Performance, 5%
MRP, 5%
Lean Manufacturing, 5%
Inventory Control, 5%

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Purchasing Manager
Purchasing Manager vs Production Control Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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