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The differences between purchasing program managers and contracts administration 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 program manager and a contracts administration manager. Additionally, a purchasing program manager has an average salary of $76,255, which is higher than the $72,869 average annual salary of a contracts administration manager.
The top three skills for a purchasing program manager include supply chain, logistics and RFQ. The most important skills for a contracts administration manager are contract administration, proposal preparation, and contract management.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Administration Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $76,255 | $72,869 |
| Hourly rate | $36.66 | $35.03 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 98,769 | 10,694 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Purchasing Program Managers will need a bachelor's degree in this field with certification options in the Institute for Supply Management, American Purchasing Society, Association for Operations Management, or other such organizations. They must also have cultivated skills in understanding supply chains, supplier performance, and logistics. Paying out at around $103K per year on average, they will be called to design, plan, and implement strategies for sourcing and purchasing, work with the suppliers and manufacturers, maintain databases of suppliers, negotiate price lowering, and focus on building and maintaining relationships with the necessary suppliers and vendors.
Contracts administration managers are responsible for negotiating and administering government and commercial contracts, preparing proposals, and ensuring that they comply with all company policies and legal requirements. These managers report the progress of their projects to top management during meetings. They manage the performance of their staff daily. Their job involves participating in developing, formulating, and revising policies, procedures, and templates. They also support their finance and program teams in communicating with their clients to ensure that invoices are made timely and accurately.
Purchasing program managers and contracts administration managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Administration Manager | |
| Average salary | $76,255 | $72,869 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $171,000 | Between $46,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ridgecrest, CA | Arlington, VA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Safran | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a purchasing program manager and a contracts administration manager in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Administration Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between purchasing program managers' and contracts administration managers' demographics:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Administration Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |