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The differences between purchasing program managers and purchasing supervisors 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 purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a purchasing program manager has an average salary of $76,255, which is higher than the $68,702 average annual salary of a purchasing supervisor.
The top three skills for a purchasing program manager include supply chain, logistics and RFQ. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $76,255 | $68,702 |
| Hourly rate | $36.66 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 98,769 | 19,412 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| 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 purchasing supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.
Purchasing program managers and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Purchasing Program Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $76,255 | $68,702 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $171,000 | Between $45,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Ridgecrest, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Safran | CDW |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a purchasing program manager and a purchasing supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between purchasing program managers' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:
| Purchasing Program Manager | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| 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, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |