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The differences between purchasing program managers and directors of materials management 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 director of materials management. Additionally, a director of materials management has an average salary of $91,206, which is higher than the $76,255 average annual salary of a purchasing program manager.
The top three skills for a purchasing program manager include supply chain, logistics and RFQ. The most important skills for a director of materials management are materials management, supply chain, and patients.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Director Of Materials Management | |
| Yearly salary | $76,255 | $91,206 |
| Hourly rate | $36.66 | $43.85 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 98,769 | 81,836 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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 director of materials management is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's purchasing and supply departments. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, supervise the procurement programs and procedures, manage purchasing staff, review documentation and requests, and liaise with vendors and suppliers, building positive relationships with them. They must also address issues and concerns, resolving them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, a director of materials management must lead teams while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Purchasing program managers and directors of materials management have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Director Of Materials Management | |
| Average salary | $76,255 | $91,206 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $171,000 | Between $72,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ridgecrest, CA | Albany, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Safran | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a purchasing program manager and a director of materials management in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Director Of Materials Management | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between purchasing program managers' and directors of materials management' demographics:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Director Of Materials Management | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |