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The differences between senior purchasing managers and purchasing 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 purchasing agent. Additionally, a senior purchasing manager has an average salary of $109,837, which is higher than the $51,950 average annual salary of a purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a senior purchasing manager include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $109,837 | $51,950 |
| Hourly rate | $52.81 | $24.98 |
| Growth rate | -6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 19,183 | 45,856 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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 purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.
Senior purchasing managers and purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $109,837 | $51,950 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $152,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Tonix Pharmaceuticals | Abiomed |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior purchasing manager and a purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior purchasing managers' and purchasing agents' demographics:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |