Senior contract administrator/contract administrator vs purchasing buyer

The differences between senior contract administrators/contract administrators and purchasing 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 contract administrator/contract administrator and a purchasing buyer. Additionally, a senior contract administrator/contract administrator has an average salary of $65,579, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.

The top three skills for a senior contract administrator/contract administrator include contract administration, proposal preparation and contract management. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.

Senior contract administrator/contract administrator vs purchasing buyer overview

	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Yearly salary	$65,579	$47,471
Hourly rate	$31.53	$22.82
Growth rate	-6%	-
Number of jobs	61,918	21,158
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

Senior contract administrator/contract administrator vs purchasing buyer salary

Senior contract administrators/contract administrators and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Average salary	$65,579	$47,471
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $102,000	Between $35,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Goleta, CA
Highest paying state	Virginia	California
Best paying company	Urban Institute	Aramco Services Company
Best paying industry	Finance	Automotive

Differences between senior contract administrator/contract administrator and purchasing buyer education

There are a few differences between a senior contract administrator/contract administrator and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:

	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Senior contract administrator/contract administrator vs purchasing buyer demographics

Here are the differences between senior contract administrators/contract administrators' and purchasing buyers' demographics:

	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator	Purchasing Buyer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4%	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.2% 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%

Differences between senior contract administrator/contract administrator and purchasing buyer duties and responsibilities

Senior contract administrator/contract administrator example responsibilities.

Manage end to end distribute and mainframe testing activities in a java, PowerBuilder and XML environment for various projects.
Manage contract performance, perform RFP reviews and coordinate proposal development with various program managers.
Process purchase orders and subcontracts, including managing insurance requirement compliance and certify payroll documentation.
Issue and administer delivery orders under negotiate IDIQ and also for standalone subcontract agreements.
Issue orders against CISCO IDIQ contract.
Maintain files on all GSA vehicles utilize with the AOR.

Purchasing buyer example responsibilities.

Manage the development of RFP process per departmental and legal requirements.
Create and manage requisitions, code billing statements and reconcile monthly bills in PeopleSoft.
Manage logistics and materials receive for appropriate quantities, timeliness and accuracy to complete project project.
Complete request for quotation (RFQ), design reviews, and advance product quality planning (APQP).
Used MRP to track and develop orders for electronic and mechanical commodities for high volume 32,000 a day unit product.
Make purchasing decisions base on the examination and recommendations of the ERP planning system and issuing and maintaining supplier purchase orders.

Senior contract administrator/contract administrator vs purchasing buyer skills

Common senior contract administrator/contract administrator skills

Contract Administration, 10%
Proposal Preparation, 7%
Contract Management, 6%
Contract Terms, 5%
Non-Disclosure Agreements, 4%
Government Regulations, 4%

Common purchasing buyer skills

Purchase Orders, 29%
Logistics, 6%
Cost Savings, 5%
ERP, 4%
MRP, 4%
RFQ, 4%

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Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator
Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator vs Purchasing Buyer

Updated January 8, 2025

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