Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior sourcing specialists and purchasing assistants 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 sourcing specialist and a purchasing assistant. Additionally, a senior sourcing specialist has an average salary of $79,213, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for a senior sourcing specialist include linkedin, HR and applicant tracking systems. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Senior Sourcing Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $79,213 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $38.08 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 7,764 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The job of a senior sourcing specialist is to help companies implement more effective processes and systems to reduce costs and increase profitability. You will be responsible for negotiating with suppliers to procure materials, products, and services at the best possible price using your in-depth knowledge of their industry and strategic sourcing strategies. As a senior source specialist, you are expected to develop and implement inventory optimization strategies across the company. You will also need to find or develop solutions to improve company outsourcing and spending.
A purchasing assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.
Senior sourcing specialists and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Sourcing Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $79,213 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $103,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | PayPal | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior sourcing specialist and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Sourcing Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior sourcing specialists' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Senior Sourcing Specialist | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |