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The differences between senior manager-supply chain managers and purchasing managers 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 manager-supply chain manager and a purchasing manager. Additionally, a senior manager-supply chain manager has an average salary of $124,984, which is higher than the $98,118 average annual salary of a purchasing manager.
The top three skills for a senior manager-supply chain manager include supply chain, logistics and project management. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.
| Senior Manager-Supply Chain Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $124,984 | $98,118 |
| Hourly rate | $60.09 | $47.17 |
| Growth rate | - | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 52,379 | 30,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A supply chain senior manager is responsible for monitoring the company's supply logistics processes and chain strategies, implementing process improvement techniques to maximize the staff's productivity and optimal performance. Supply chain senior managers coordinate with suppliers and third-party vendors, negotiating contracts, and maintaining stable business relationships with distributors. They also identify inconsistencies in supply chain operations, ensure the adequacy of stock inventories, implement quality control procedures, and analyzing industry trends to identify business opportunities, meeting consumer demands and public needs.
A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.
Senior manager-supply chain managers and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Manager-Supply Chain Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average salary | $124,984 | $98,118 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $169,000 | Between $70,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Maine |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior manager-supply chain manager and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Manager-Supply Chain Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior manager-supply chain managers' and purchasing managers' demographics:
| Senior Manager-Supply Chain Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |