Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior agents 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 senior agent and a purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a purchasing supervisor has an average salary of $68,702, which is higher than the $49,785 average annual salary of a senior agent.
The top three skills for a senior agent include right-of-way, real estate and SR. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.
| Senior Agent | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $49,785 | $68,702 |
| Hourly rate | $23.94 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 28,822 | 19,412 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior agent manages incoming calls, generates leads, and schedules appointments for important meetings. They must accurately track and respond to the internet leads and provide top quality customer service to the clients. Their job also requires them to travel to multiple countries to monitor company functions. They must also estimate the costs of infrastructure and construction projects.
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.
Senior agents and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Agent | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $49,785 | $68,702 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $85,000 | Between $45,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | NV Energy | CDW |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior agent and a purchasing supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Senior Agent | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior agents' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:
| Senior Agent | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 7% | 7% |