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Purchasing manager vs supply manager

The differences between purchasing managers and supply managers 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 supply manager. Additionally, a purchasing manager has an average salary of $98,118, which is higher than the $96,971 average annual salary of a supply manager.

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

Purchasing manager vs supply manager overview

Purchasing ManagerSupply Manager
Yearly salary$98,118$96,971
Hourly rate$47.17$46.62
Growth rate-6%-6%
Number of jobs30,43030,833
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

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 supply manager do?

A supply manager or supply chain manager is an individual who supervises the import or creation of raw materials that are to be used by the company to form new products. Supply managers are required to coordinate all aspects of the supply chain to ensure that they are efficient and cost-effective. They must maintain low costs and high efficiency by building and maintaining relationships with the company's partners. Supply managers should also recruit staff members and provide training to help them learn and master their jobs.

Purchasing manager vs supply manager salary

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

Purchasing ManagerSupply Manager
Average salary$98,118$96,971
Salary rangeBetween $70,000 And $136,000Between $68,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CAFremont, CA
Highest paying stateMaineNew York
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncPVH
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between purchasing manager and supply manager education

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

Purchasing ManagerSupply Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Purchasing manager vs supply manager demographics

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

Purchasing ManagerSupply Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 67.0% Female, 33.0%Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%10%

Differences between purchasing manager and supply 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.
    • Show more

Supply manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage global supply partners for PCB assembly from product introduction through mass production.
  • Manage supplier relationship, conduct quarterly supplier reviews to ensure suppliers are meeting predetermine KPI's.
  • Lead, organize and complete all assignment and/or replication of OEM software contracts for Lucent/AVAYA spin-off.
  • Manage supplier MRP by identifying and tracking critical component changes, board spins, and lead-time analysis.
  • Develop detail CapEx requirements, secure CapEx funding, and manage the supply and qualification of production equipment.
  • Manage hedging of key commodities to reduce volatility in their prices and generate cost savings for manufacturing centers
    • Show more

Purchasing manager vs supply 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 supply manager skills
  • Supply Chain, 25%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Supplier Performance, 6%
  • Supplier Relationships, 5%
  • Cost Savings, 5%
  • Chain Management, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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