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The differences between strategic buyers and material analysts 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 material analyst. Additionally, a strategic buyer has an average salary of $74,725, which is higher than the $66,092 average annual salary of a material analyst.
The top three skills for a strategic buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a material analyst are supply chain, logistics, and MRP.
| Strategic Buyer | Material Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $74,725 | $66,092 |
| Hourly rate | $35.93 | $31.77 |
| Growth rate | - | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 23,156 | 48,758 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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.
A materials analyst is responsible for managing the assets and materials of an organization, ensuring the adequacy of office inventories to support business operational functions. Materials analysts identify cost-reduction materials by coordinating with trusted suppliers and third-party vendors. They handle the distribution of goods and order processes according to the company's supply chain management. A materials analyst must have excellent organizational and analytical skills, especially in conducting data and statistical analysis to obtain high-quality materials that would meet the customers' demands.
Strategic buyers and material analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Buyer | Material Analyst | |
| Average salary | $74,725 | $66,092 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $109,000 | Between $49,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | Union City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Entegris | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a strategic buyer and a material analyst in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Buyer | Material Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between strategic buyers' and material analysts' demographics:
| Strategic Buyer | Material Analyst | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |