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The differences between purchasing program managers and lead program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead program manager has an average salary of $119,480, 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 lead program manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $76,255 | $119,480 |
| Hourly rate | $36.66 | $57.44 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 98,769 | 200,688 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 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 lead program manager is responsible for coordinating departmental projects and ensuring that the programs adhere to the business guidelines and functions to achieve long-term goals and objectives. Lead program managers strategize techniques in developing business plans and managing budget allocation across departments. They also coordinate with clients for progress updates and modify program plans as needed. A lead program manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to finalize program outputs and assist the team in resolving project issues and delays.
Purchasing program managers and lead program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average salary | $76,255 | $119,480 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $171,000 | Between $89,000 And $158,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ridgecrest, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Safran | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a purchasing program manager and a lead program manager in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between purchasing program managers' and lead program managers' demographics:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Lead Program Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% | Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |