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The differences between strategic buyers and purchasing agents 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 purchasing agent. Additionally, a strategic buyer has an average salary of $74,725, which is higher than the $51,950 average annual salary of a purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a strategic buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $74,725 | $51,950 |
| Hourly rate | $35.93 | $24.98 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 23,156 | 45,856 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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 purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.
Strategic buyers and purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $74,725 | $51,950 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $109,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Entegris | Abiomed |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a strategic buyer and a purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between strategic buyers' and purchasing agents' demographics:
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |