Purchasing manager vs purchasing supervisor

The differences between purchasing managers and purchasing supervisors 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 purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $68,702 average annual salary of a purchasing supervisor.

The top three skills for a purchasing manager include supply chain, strategic sourcing and project management. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.

Purchasing manager vs purchasing supervisor overview

	Purchasing Manager	Purchasing Supervisor
Yearly salary	$98,118	$68,702
Hourly rate	$47.17	$33.03
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	30,430	19,412
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	47	48
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 purchasing supervisor do?

A purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.

Purchasing manager vs purchasing supervisor salary

Purchasing managers and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Purchasing Manager	Purchasing Supervisor
Average salary	$98,118	$68,702
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $136,000	Between $45,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	CDW
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between purchasing manager and purchasing supervisor education

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

	Purchasing Manager	Purchasing Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Purchasing manager vs purchasing supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between purchasing managers' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:

	Purchasing Manager	Purchasing Supervisor
Average age	47	48
Gender ratio	Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0%	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	7%

Differences between purchasing manager and purchasing supervisor 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.

Purchasing supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage increasing procurement demands of inventory/supplies for manufacturing activities base on an ERP MRP system.
Lead and analyze all RFQ's, RFI's and RFP's from different qualify vendors.
Interview current and prospective suppliers to determine supplier capabilities, logistics and inventory control and management while negotiate delivery terms.
Review requisitions and RFP's, obtain quotations, negotiate pricing, examine bids and award contracts.
Assist in the yearly budgeting process including RFQ's and establishing contracts both locally and at the corporate level.
Direct large projects by creating RFP's, cost negotiation, and bid analysis on specifications and budget cost provided.

Purchasing manager vs purchasing supervisor skills

Common purchasing manager skills

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

Common purchasing supervisor skills

Purchase Orders, 20%
MRP, 5%
Supplier Performance, 4%
Logistics, 4%
Corrective Action, 4%
On-Time Delivery, 4%

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Purchasing Manager
Purchasing Manager vs Purchasing Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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