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Job outlook for purchasing managers in the United States
Purchasing manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected purchasing manager job growth rate is -6% from 2018-2028.
About -29,500 new jobs for purchasing managers are projected over the next decade.
Purchasing manager salaries have increased 13% for purchasing managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 142,149 purchasing managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 30,430 active purchasing manager job openings in the US.
The average purchasing manager salary is $98,118.
Are purchasing manager jobs in demand?
Purchasing manager job and salary trends over time
Purchasing manager jobs over time
Purchasing manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 142,149 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 139,051 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 140,104 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 135,335 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 137,301 | 0.04% |
Average purchasing manager salary over time
Purchasing manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $98,118 | $47.17 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $94,355 | $45.36 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $92,664 | $44.55 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $90,187 | $43.36 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $86,938 | $41.80 | +3.2% |
Purchasing manager jobs by state
Most common states for purchasing managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 199 | 29% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 728 | 11% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 658 | 9% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 532 | 9% |
| 5 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 312 | 9% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,072 | 8% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 828 | 8% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 650 | 8% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 464 | 8% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 440 | 8% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 110 | 8% |
| 12 | Delaware | 961,939 | 74 | 8% |
| 13 | Alaska | 739,795 | 59 | 8% |
| 14 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,618 | 7% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 513 | 7% |
| 16 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 447 | 7% |
| 17 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 411 | 7% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 202 | 7% |
| 19 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 196 | 7% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 78 | 7% |
Most common cities for purchasing managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 8 | 20% | $92,158 |
| 2 | Atlanta | 40 | 8% | $78,624 |
| 3 | Lansing | 8 | 7% | $100,887 |
| 4 | Tallahassee | 12 | 6% | $70,391 |
| 5 | Hartford | 8 | 6% | $102,282 |
| 6 | Tampa | 16 | 4% | $68,385 |
| 7 | Des Moines | 8 | 4% | $82,573 |
| 8 | Boston | 18 | 3% | $101,428 |
| 9 | Sacramento | 14 | 3% | $119,569 |
| 10 | Indianapolis | 20 | 2% | $90,715 |
| 11 | Denver | 12 | 2% | $78,269 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 11 | 2% | $92,342 |
| 13 | Washington | 11 | 2% | $97,301 |
| 14 | Chicago | 26 | 1% | $94,789 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 22 | 1% | $86,934 |
| 16 | San Jose | 11 | 1% | $117,894 |
| 17 | San Diego | 8 | 1% | $103,691 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 11 | 0% | $105,908 |
Purchasing Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of purchasing manager experts
University of Alaska Fairbanks
San Francisco State University
Manhattan College
Sacred Heart University
Centenary College of Louisiana
Bucknell University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Pennsylvania State University - New Kensington
ASCM
NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement
Mr. Supply Chain
Knoxville Community Development Corporation
NASPO
What Purchasing Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jaunelle Celaire: Never stop learning! This may consist of going back to school, earning new certifications in your field of study, attending conferences and seminars, and making sure that your time management is always at its finest level of excellence.
Bruce Heiman Ph.D.
Professor of International BusinessSan Francisco State University
Department of International Business
What hard/technical skills are most important for Purchasing Managers?
Bruce Heiman Ph.D.: -Analytical skills (ability to gather data, clean it, analyze it, write-up results and present on what the meaning of the analysis suggests for action (the last one is most important--"what does it really mean?"
-Some experience and skills with coding in any language (at the moment, Python or C++ are preferred, though Ruby on Rails is also good)
-Deep spreadsheet skills (pivot tables and macros, as examples).
-Relational database skills, including programming (e.g., MySQL)
-Data mining
-AI/Machine Learning experience
What skills will help Purchasing Managers earn the most?
Bruce Heiman Ph.D.: -Previous internship/practicum experience in the industry
-Ability to identify and solve problems in an effective manner
-Ability to deploy design/creativity tools in the service of finding and solving problems
-Evidence of ability to manage in the relevant non-English language(s)
-Prior job experience/deep training in a related area
-Prior experience/training managing people/teams
-Ability/experience in working in a team and concretely increasing the team's performance in measurable ways
-Ability to speak with and relate well to people at all levels of an organization, including below, peers, above, and outsiders
-Skills (deep) in working in other cultures and respecting the values and conventions of that culture. Multiple cultures would be worth more
What technical skills for a Purchasing Manager stand out to employers?
Dr. John Leylegian Ph.D.: I think almost any graduate will finish school with the same skill set in terms of technical knowledge. What can stand out is an ability to code and use various professional-grade software packages - the actual programming languages and software packages are secondary. If you can code in VBA, moving to Matlab or Python is not a big deal - it's just a matter of syntax. If you can use one CFD code or one FEA code, others will be much easier to learn. The foundation will be attractive to employers. Of course, the non-technical skills are SO important as well, most notably communication (speaking and writing).
What technical skills for a Purchasing Manager stand out to employers?
Keith Hassell: Employers are increasingly looking for applied skillsets and additional certifications to set a candidate apart. Sacred Heart University has recently launched a remote work certification, which houses three modules - focusing on the remote worker, the remote team and the remote leader, providing the tools and resources to comfortably leverage and utilize virtual platforms at various organizations. Additional specialized training, certifications and more are great selling tools pending on the specific area of interest. Certifications are common in areas such as project management, sales, IT/network/software, Google application and more. The candidate needs to think, "What can I do that is beyond my coursework to show I am passionate about my field? How do I make myself stand out?" Certifications is an attainable way to do this.
In addition, soft skills continue to be equally important in today's job market. NACE (the National Association of Colleges and Employers) identified seven core competencies that employers seek from entry level candidates which include critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, career management and global/intercultural fluency.
Dr. Barbara Davis
William J. Atkins DeanCentenary College of Louisiana
Frost School of Business
What type of skills will young Purchasing Managers need?
Dr. Barbara Davis: Analysis - Graduates will need to analyze situations, identify the best choices, and seek solutions with the highest benefit to the organization.
Creativity - Graduates will need to possess critical and creative thinking skills.
Flexibility - Graduates must remain flexible to succeed in a highly changing environment.
What experience really stands out on Purchasing Manager resumes?
Dr. Barbara Davis: Graduates participating in internships related to their areas of interest. Internships spanning more than one semester at the same firm stand out as well.
Eddy Ng Ph.D.
James and Elizabeth Freeman Professor of ManagementBucknell University
Freeman College of Management
What skills stand out on Purchasing Manager resumes?
Eddy Ng Ph.D.: Some of the remote economy skills that will be required include:
- self-directed/motivated
- data literacy (analytics)
- digital creativity and design
- IT and cybersecurity, including coding
- distributed leadership
- remote communication and management
STEM will become even more critical
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Purchasing Managers to find work opportunities?
Eddy Ng Ph.D.: Most talent recruitment is already happening online (that will be the best place to engage in career explorations). Recruitment and selection will also be conducted differently, and given the highly specialized nature of remote economy jobs, many talent management (headhunters, search firms) will play a greater role in the recruitment process. Campus recruitment will remain an important tool for talent attraction as many required skills will be scarce at first leading to competition for talent. Bear in mind, given a remote economy, the supply of workers will no longer be restricted to the local or national labour market.
What skills stand out on Purchasing Manager resumes?
Dr. Timothy Edwards: Writing and research skills. Analytical and critical thinking skills. Technical skills such as web design, graphic design, audio and video production skills. Employers are interested in potential employees knowledge, intelligence and skills.
What type of skills will young Purchasing Managers need?
Adrian Tan: The feedback from business leaders is that they wish to see a balanced mix of different skills in new graduates. An unexpected skill mentioned is the ability to use spreadsheets such as Excel. Companies do not expect to have to train new employees to use spreadsheets, though it turned out that spreadsheets are widely used (at varying levels of complexity) at all levels in organizations. An assumption here is that if a graduate already has good spreadsheet skills, then the graduate should also have the ability to quickly pick up on other more complex business IT skills required by the organization.
Businesses also need to know if their new employees can effectively interact with internal or external audiences. In this regard, excellent presentation skills are the minimum expectation from businesses. Presentation skills (both formal and informal) include the ability to read people, to communicate, and to covey information appropriately to the different types of audiences they may encounter - and these may sometimes include bored, skeptical, adversarial or even hostile audiences.
Every organization also requires graduates to show that they are good team-players. In addition to that, it is a big advantage if graduates can also demonstrate sound leadership skills in the context of teamwork. This is because new employees with leadership potential are viewed as those who are willing to go the extra mile, able to function with minimum supervision, can roll with the punches to jump back into the fray, and trusted to welcome (instead of to avoid) new assignments or challenges. Leadership skills are also seen as closely aligned with the possession of a corporate entrepreneurial mindset in that such employees are more willing to challenge the status quo, come up with out-of-the-box ideas, and help lead transformation efforts that can guide the organization in the future.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Purchasing Managers to find work opportunities?
Adrian Tan: Business skills are in great demand anywhere where there is a desire to organize human beings for productive gains. Realistically, new graduates always have to consider if they should relocate for their first jobs. This is because it is natural for business cycles to expand or contract over time in patterns that may not be in sync with the timing of new graduates entering the work force. For instance, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has froze certain types of jobs in businesses, but has expanded other types of jobs instead. This means that there are new opportunities being created, but these may be located in other parts of the country.
How do you envision technology impacting Purchasing Managers in the next 5 years?
Abe Eshkenazi: The impact of technology on the supply chain will be multi-faceted, but, overall, I see it helping us close the ever-expanding skills gap. A growing issue in industries, across the board, is a surplus of positions that go unfilled due to the lack of skilled professionals available to fill them. In fact, as of October 2019, there were 7.3 million job openings in the U.S. economy, as companies across industries have had trouble finding skilled employees.
Technology is critical for the digitization of supply chains, which will help with visibility and transparency along the supply chain. Being trained to keep up with the new logistics platforms and technology available is very much a part of why upskilling and keeping your certifications up to date is so important. The push toward adopting technology and automation creates the opportunity for employees to develop, move up, and fill more skilled positions. Instead of investing dollars recruiting and training employees for lower-skilled positions, companies can now focus on training motivated employees for the specific skills needed for more technical roles, improving productivity, raising incomes, and satisfaction levels.
Education and upskilling should be thought of like a supply chain pipeline, where you plan for your talent needs before they become critical - the demand-driven approach. By implementing this system of demand-driven education supported by technology, it allows companies to have a full view of where future shortages may lurk and plan accordingly. Businesses would have a plan for attacking the talent gap and know what to do, rather than waiting for perfectly trained applicants.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Purchasing Managers?
Rick Grimm: Graduates entering the workforce who have a passion and purpose for public service are strongly encouraged to consider a career in public procurement and contracting. If anything, the dual impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced tax revenues within governments has heightened the value and responsibility of public procurement and contracting. Procurement officials are on the front lines for securing PPEs as well as many other healthcare products and equipment needed to keep first responders and healthcare workers safe. And the tightening of the budget belts means, more than ever, that procurement must deliver value for money through best practices, in addition to being a voice for fairness through regulations and compliance.
The tsunami of retirements in the public sector is providing ample opportunity to join the public procurement workforce. And the public procurement profession provides many options to serve in the federal, state, and local sectors (including K12 schools and special taxing districts, such a water authorities and ports). Therefore, skill development is very portable from one sector to the next.
This profession is also very dynamic as the procurement demands change very quickly. There is no typical day and there's no place for boredom. The practitioner may be procuring lawn maintenance services for the local parks system on Monday, soliciting bridge repairs for the department of transportation on Tuesday, and collaborating with IT by week's end on automated approaches for managing the government effectively.
What general advice would you give to a Purchasing Manager?
Rick Grimm: Public procurement professionals don't typically come into the profession with a wealth of procurement techniques and experiences. That knowledge and skill is developed on the job and through multiple options for professional development. However, the ideal candidate has an acute appreciation for the mission and public benefit of government and has developed fundamental competencies in critical thinking, relationship management, and data analytics. Of equal importance, the ideal candidate is rooted in the values of ethics, integrity, professionalism, and transparency.
In short, the public procurement profession is tailor-made for the new workforce. There is portability between the various public sectors. There is variety in meeting the on-going needs of stakeholders. There is an appreciation for the quality of life/work balance. There is an infrastructure in place where professionals engage with others to learn and network. And there are professional associations that enable learning through content and competency development, that provide public recognition through certificates and certifications, that deliver an abundance of resources, and that facilitate connections for mentoring and sharing information.
Ultimately, if you want to have impact, consider a profession that is responsible for the state and local spend of $4.1 trillion in tax dollars annually.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Purchasing Managers to find work opportunities?
Daniel Stanton: Every business and government organization has a supply chain, and that means there are job opportunities for supply chain professionals virtually everywhere. I always encourage people to focus on industries and regions that align with their personal priorities, while factoring in the upside opportunities and downside risks. It's easier to get a job with a company that is growing, and in a region that has a strong economy. But you can still find opportunities with companies that are trying to cut costs in their supply chain to survive an economic downturn.
How do you envision technology impacting Purchasing Managers in the next 5 years?
Daniel Stanton: Technology is having a huge impact on supply chains! Many of our planning and execution processes are being automated, and robots and autonomous vehicles are changing the way we think about transportation and material handling. Sensors and telecommunications are also giving us better visibility to what's happening throughout the supply chain, and making it much easier to control supply chain activities around the world from a laptop or cellphone. I know some people are concerned about technology replacing the work that people are doing today, and eliminating supply chain jobs. But I think there are many more examples of companies that are creating new positions for people who can plan and orchestrate the vast number of complex activities that need to be aligned in order for a supply chain to function effectively.
What type of skills will young Purchasing Managers need?
Terry McKee: The core skill required is a commitment to lifelong learning since public procurement requires the practitioner to constantly learn new ideas and techniques. Other necessary skills include problem solving, project management, communication, time management, writing, and patience, and flexibility. I did not list software skills (Word, Excel, Google, for example) because I think they are requisite for virtually all professional jobs now. Ethical standards are also requisite for public procurement and while not really a skill, are a core requirement. Finally, let me mention that increasingly public agencies offer internship opportunities and, if possible, take advantage of those in order to learn about public procurement in real life settings.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Purchasing Managers to find work opportunities?
Terry McKee: 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.
What general advice would you give to a Purchasing Manager?
Daniel Kruger: The procurement profession, like many industries, has undergone a shift as a result of the pandemic. NASPO is seeing states adjusting to revised bidding processes that include more eProcurement systems, and work from home is also a significant change for many state employees. New graduates will need to navigate the hiring process and onboarding potentially without a physical office or in-person collaboration with coworkers, so they need to be comfortable with technology and even a bit more extroverted early on to make those connections. This will require strong communication and interpersonal skills. Data analytics and supply chain knowledge continue to be critical, as well.