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The differences between senior purchasing managers 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 manager and a purchasing buyer. Additionally, a senior purchasing manager has an average salary of $109,837, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.
The top three skills for a senior purchasing manager include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,837 | $47,471 |
| Hourly rate | $52.81 | $22.82 |
| Growth rate | -6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 19,183 | 21,158 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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.
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 managers and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average salary | $109,837 | $47,471 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $152,000 | Between $35,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Goleta, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tonix Pharmaceuticals | Aramco Services Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior purchasing manager and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior purchasing managers' and purchasing buyers' demographics:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Buyer | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% | Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |