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The differences between strategic buyers and purchasing supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a strategic buyer has an average salary of $74,725, which is higher than the $68,702 average annual salary of a purchasing supervisor.
The top three skills for a strategic buyer include supply chain, purchase orders and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $74,725 | $68,702 |
| Hourly rate | $35.93 | $33.03 |
| Growth rate | - | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 23,156 | 19,412 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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 supervisor orders supplies, equipment, and materials from vendors by buyers. The purchasing supervisors assess, select, and build relationships with the vendors. They do the negotiation for the contracts of goods and services. It is their job to review the purchase orders for accuracy and ensure to obtain the best prices. The skills supervisors need to develop include marketing, communication, leadership, and management. They should also know about purchasing products and services.
Strategic buyers and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $74,725 | $68,702 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $109,000 | Between $45,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Entegris | CDW |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a strategic buyer and a purchasing supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between strategic buyers' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:
| Strategic Buyer | Purchasing Supervisor | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |