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The differences between senior buyers and junior buyers/buyers 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 buyer and a junior buyer/buyer. Additionally, a senior buyer has an average salary of $79,848, which is higher than the $52,374 average annual salary of a junior buyer/buyer.
The top three skills for a senior buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and MRP. The most important skills for a junior buyer/buyer are purchase orders, MRP, and ERP.
| Senior Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,848 | $52,374 |
| Hourly rate | $38.39 | $25.18 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 27,412 | 22,370 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The job of senior buyers, or also known as purchasing agents, is to meet the material needs of an organization. They are responsible for finding suppliers, arranging the distribution to several retail outlets, and supervising other purchasing agents. They also look for new product streams and establish procurement strategies. Senior buyers typically begin their careers as assistant buyers or junior purchasing agents. Most employers usually prefer those with college degrees in marketing, business, and economics.
A junior buyer/buyer is in charge of purchasing supplies in adherence to company goals. Their responsibilities typically revolve around participating in meetings that discuss the kinds of products to procure, performing research and analysis to find the ideal vendors or suppliers, liaising and negotiating with external parties, maintaining invoices and records of all transactions, and producing progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to monitor the shipment and deliveries of supplies, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Should there be any problems, it is necessary to coordinate with vendors right away.
Senior buyers and junior buyers/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $79,848 | $52,374 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $112,000 | Between $39,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | Astronics |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior buyer and a junior buyer/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior buyers' and junior buyers/buyers' demographics:
| Senior Buyer | Junior Buyer/Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |