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The differences between senior purchasing 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 purchasing manager and a purchasing manager. Additionally, a senior purchasing manager has an average salary of $109,837, which is higher than the $98,118 average annual salary of a purchasing manager.
The top three skills for a senior purchasing manager include supply chain, purchase orders and logistics. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $109,837 | $98,118 |
| Hourly rate | $52.81 | $47.17 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 19,183 | 30,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| 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 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 purchasing managers and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average salary | $109,837 | $98,118 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $152,000 | Between $70,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maine |
| 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 purchasing manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior purchasing managers' and purchasing managers' demographics:
| Senior Purchasing Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |