How to hire a purchasing supervisor

How to hire a purchasing supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step purchasing supervisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a purchasing supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new purchasing supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a purchasing supervisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your purchasing supervisor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a purchasing supervisor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A purchasing supervisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, purchasing supervisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of purchasing supervisor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Purchasing Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Purchasing Supervisor	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$21-50
   Landman	Landmen are referred to as the public-facing side of a gas, mineral, and oil exploration and production team. They are professionals who interact and negotiate directly with landowners for the acquisition of gas and oil drilling leases... Show more	$25-61
   Buyer	A buyer's duties include product sourcing and comparing resources for the best product range that would suit the specific needs of the business. Buyers must have excellent communication and negotiation skills to evaluate items that most likely benefit the customer and improve the sales of daily operations with cost-efficient products... Show more	$17-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Purchase Orders
   • MRP
   • Supplier Performance
   • Logistics
   • Corrective Action
   • On-Time Delivery
   • ERP
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Inventory Control
   • Cost Reduction
   • Production Schedules
   • Commodities
   • Process Improvement
   • Inventory Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage increasing procurement demands of inventory/supplies for manufacturing activities base on an ERP MRP system.
   • Lead and analyze all RFQ's, RFI's and RFP's from different qualify vendors.
   • Interview current and prospective suppliers to determine supplier capabilities, logistics and inventory control and management while negotiate delivery terms.
   • Review requisitions and RFP's, obtain quotations, negotiate pricing, examine bids and award contracts.
   • Assist in the yearly budgeting process including RFQ's and establishing contracts both locally and at the corporate level.
   • Direct large projects by creating RFP's, cost negotiation, and bid analysis on specifications and budget cost provided.

   More purchasing supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your purchasing supervisor job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A purchasing supervisor salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a purchasing supervisor in Maine may be lower than in California, and an entry-level purchasing supervisor usually earns less than a senior-level purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a purchasing supervisor with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average purchasing supervisor salary

   $68,702yearly

   $33.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level purchasing supervisor salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average purchasing supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$99,967	$48
   2	Washington	$82,757	$40
   3	District of Columbia	$75,410	$36
   4	Massachusetts	$72,633	$35
   5	Illinois	$69,961	$34
   6	Virginia	$69,448	$33
   7	Michigan	$68,993	$33
   8	Arizona	$67,851	$33
   9	New Jersey	$67,168	$32
   10	Colorado	$64,782	$31
   11	Indiana	$58,674	$28
   12	Wisconsin	$58,417	$28
   13	North Carolina	$58,250	$28
   14	Alabama	$57,716	$28
   15	Georgia	$56,411	$27
   16	Oklahoma	$53,323	$26
   17	Iowa	$52,192	$25
   18	Texas	$48,809	$23
   19	Florida	$44,688	$21

   Average purchasing supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CDW	$101,103	$48.61
   2	BD	$100,001	$48.08
   3	Nucor	$98,171	$47.20	3
   4	Medline	$97,466	$46.86	2
   5	BorgWarner	$97,036	$46.65	4
   6	Golden State Foods	$96,947	$46.61
   7	Bechtel Corporation	$90,621	$43.57	3
   8	University of California	$90,287	$43.41	6
   9	OSI Group	$89,839	$43.19
   10	Continental Automotive Systems	$87,529	$42.08
   11	Siemens	$87,289	$41.97	6
   12	A-dec	$87,090	$41.87
   13	Allied Reliability	$83,702	$40.24
   14	Saint-Gobain	$79,206	$38.08	5
   15	CAI	$78,865	$37.92
   16	Montage Hotels & Resorts	$78,519	$37.75	14
   17	Carnival Cruise Line	$76,235	$36.65	7
   18	Helen of Troy	$75,360	$36.23
   19	Novant Health	$74,869	$35.99
   20	CMC Motocross	$74,672	$35.90	4

4. Writing a purchasing supervisor job description

   A job description for a purchasing supervisor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a purchasing supervisor job description:

   Purchasing supervisor job description example

   Veritas Press is a Christian organization dedicated to providing the best classical Christian education materials and services anywhere. We are in search of a Warehouse Purchasing Supervisor to join our team to assist with purchasing efficiency.
   General Description
   
   Manage and execute all aspects of warehouse including shipping, receiving and inventory. Hold warehouse associates accountable for safety, production and complying with company regulations. Assist with purchasing of warehouse and stock items. Strive to create cost and time saving efficiencies with consideration of market seasonality.
   Responsibilities
   
   Warehouse Responsibilities:
   Promotes a safe productive work environment Assign tasks and hold warehouse associates accountable. Has full engagement with our WMS system, reporting and assignments Records, reports and hold associates accountable for company KPI's Ensures receiving department processes inbound shipments accurately and timely Directs shipping department with selection, replenishment and packing Perform physical counts and assists with year end inventory counts. Maintain cleanliness and safety of the warehouse area.
   Purchasing responsibilities:
   Become knowledgeable of Veritas Press product and service offerings. Maintain knowledge of products and services as offerings change, update, and new product is released. Create and send purchase orders for forecasted stock needs. Procure any special-order items.
   Product Maintenance:
   Maintain system for product changes, discontinued items, replacement items, new items, and cover changes including updating kit and bundle items within systems. Order and receive review copies for replacement products. Communicate any product availability, and changes to all necessary staff. Skills and Qualifications:
   Conversant with the Reformed Faith and Classical Education from a Christian worldview according to the VSA Statement of Faith and Philosophy. Good written and oral communication skills. Able to maintain courteous and professional disposition when dealing with co-workers. Able to work diligently without much direct supervision. Work to constantly expand abilities by gaining further training in areas of weakness. Detail Oriented Physical Demands:
   Standing, walking and sitting for long periods of time Extensive typing on QWERTY style keyboard Extensive viewing of lighted computer monitor Speaking and hearing Reaching and bending Lifting up to 50lbs Using hands to perform tasks Working in industrial warehouse conditions (climate controlled) around and utilizing equipment such as forklifts, pallet jacks, hand trucks and carts Exposure to dust and dirt Education:
   High school diploma preferred
   Compensations and Benefits:
   
   Competitive salary based on experience; incentive compensation based on performance
   
   Benefit Package includes:
   Paid time off Paid holidays Health, dental and vision insurance 401k matching Instructions:
   Be sure to answer all questions marked with an * on the application; they are required. If you're not sure of any of the other answers, leave them blank. Please upload a resume; we prefer PDF format. In the Cover Letter section, please write us a brief note to tell us why you're applying. It can be as formal as you want it to be, we just want to get to know you. After you submit your application, you cannot edit it. If you close the application without clicking the SUBMIT button, your details will not be saved and you will have to start over.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find purchasing supervisors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your purchasing supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit purchasing supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with purchasing supervisor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new purchasing supervisor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the purchasing supervisor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new purchasing supervisor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a purchasing supervisor?