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The differences between strategic buyers and contracts administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a strategic buyer and a contracts administrator. Additionally, a strategic buyer has an average salary of $74,725, which is higher than the $52,876 average annual salary of a contracts administrator.
The top three skills for a strategic buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a contracts administrator are contract administration, customer service, and contract management.
| Strategic Buyer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $74,725 | $52,876 |
| Hourly rate | $35.93 | $25.42 |
| Growth rate | - | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 23,156 | 58,038 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A strategic buyer defines detailed plans and objectives for each project as per the organization and business unit purchasing strategies. Besides undertaking benchmarking and updating activity and project progress, strategic buyers also control the supply chain actions and supply chain risks to keep the supply chain secure. Also, these professionals negotiate favorable, effective, and precise terms and conditions as per the rules. Moreover, strategic buyers control the projects' risks and create an effective action plan to achieve all project objectives.
Contract administrators create and manage legal contracts from which the company participates. They ensure that all entities to the contract will accomplish their obligations, as indicated in the contract. They usually work for larger organizations that might be involved with different or highly complex contracts. These organizations spread across a range of industries, including government, construction, and healthcare. Their responsibilities include addressing any conflicts of questions regarding the contract, analyzing the possible risks posed by contracts, and working alongside the legal and procurement teams.
Strategic buyers and contracts administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Buyer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Average salary | $74,725 | $52,876 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $109,000 | Between $35,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Entegris | Ngam Advisors, L.P. |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a strategic buyer and a contracts administrator in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Buyer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between strategic buyers' and contracts administrators' demographics:
| Strategic Buyer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 7.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |