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The differences between senior purchasing managers and procurement agents 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 manager and a procurement agent. Additionally, a senior purchasing manager has an average salary of $109,837, which is higher than the $72,384 average annual salary of a procurement agent.
The top three skills for a senior purchasing manager include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a procurement agent are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and supplier performance.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Procurement Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $109,837 | $72,384 |
| Hourly rate | $52.81 | $34.80 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 19,183 | 45,198 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior purchasing manager is responsible for spearheading and overseeing the efforts in purchasing supplies for a company. They are in charge of managing purchasing teams, gathering purchase requests, identifying the company's needs, and setting goals in adherence to the budget. They must also liaise with vendors and suppliers, negotiate contracts, and build positive relationships with them. Furthermore, as a senior manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A procurement agent develops profitable measures to save the client money and ensure the quality of goods supplied. Procurement agents obtain the purchased items through suppliers, monitor them, and expedite the orders. They oversee the activities and performance of the suppliers for compliance. Their duties include the verification of item receipts, resolving shipment-related problems, and authorizing purchase payments through documentation. The necessary skills for this job include being accomplished, decisive, and strong communication skills.
Senior purchasing managers and procurement agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Procurement Agent | |
| Average salary | $109,837 | $72,384 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $152,000 | Between $49,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Tonix Pharmaceuticals | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior purchasing manager and a procurement agent in terms of educational background:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Procurement Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior purchasing managers' and procurement agents' demographics:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Procurement Agent | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% | Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |