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The differences between purchasing program managers and contracts 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 manager. Additionally, a purchasing program manager has an average salary of $76,255, which is higher than the $72,691 average annual salary of a contracts manager.
The top three skills for a purchasing program manager include supply chain, logistics and RFQ. The most important skills for a contracts manager are contract management, contract administration, and contract terms.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $76,255 | $72,691 |
| Hourly rate | $36.66 | $34.95 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 98,769 | 13,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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.
A contract manager is responsible for finalizing contract agreements between the company and its clients, revising documents, creating procurement proposals, and managing breach of contracts immediately. Contract managers respond to clients' inquiries and concerns about the contract's terms, conditions, and adjustment requests. They should be highly knowledgeable with legal terms and legislation regulations, ensuring that documents align with their objectives. The contract manager should also stay updated with the latest trends to meet contract demands, identify more business opportunities to boost revenues, and achieve profitability goals.
Purchasing program managers and contracts managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Manager | |
| Average salary | $76,255 | $72,691 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $171,000 | Between $45,000 And $116,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ridgecrest, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Safran | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a purchasing program manager and a contracts manager in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between purchasing program managers' and contracts managers' demographics:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Contracts Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% | Male, 54.0% Female, 46.0% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |