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The differences between senior purchasing agents 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 purchasing agent and a purchasing buyer. Additionally, a senior purchasing agent has an average salary of $73,386, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.
The top three skills for a senior purchasing agent include purchase orders, project management and supplier relationships. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.
| Senior Purchasing Agent | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,386 | $47,471 |
| Hourly rate | $35.28 | $22.82 |
| Growth rate | -6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 43,833 | 21,158 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Senior Purchasing Agents are experienced employees in the company's purchasing department. They oversee the purchase requisitions of the employees. They validate requests, ensure that the requestors followed company guidelines, check the availability of the items with the chosen supplier, and forward the purchase order to the supplier. Upon fulfillment of the request, Senior Purchasing Agents check the deliveries, ensure that the items are complete and correct, forward the items to the requestor, and process the payment for the supplier. Senior Purchasing agents also prepare reports, spot trends in employee or department purchases, and create recommendations based on observations. They are also expected to form good working relationships with suppliers.
In a retail setting, a purchasing buyer is primarily responsible for devising strategies for procuring supplies, ensuring that it aligns with the company's needs and standards. They are also responsible for conducting thorough marketing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather and process documentation, liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers, and keeping track of all purchasing orders to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a purchasing buyer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and submit regular reports to supervisors.
Senior purchasing agents and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Purchasing Agent | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average salary | $73,386 | $47,471 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $103,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Goleta, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Levi Strauss & Co. | Aramco Services Company |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior purchasing agent and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Purchasing Agent | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior purchasing agents' and purchasing buyers' demographics:
| Senior Purchasing Agent | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.0% 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% |