Subcontract administrator vs purchasing supervisor

The differences between subcontract administrators 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 subcontract administrator and a purchasing supervisor. Additionally, a purchasing supervisor has an average salary of $68,702, which is higher than the $65,686 average annual salary of a subcontract administrator.

The top three skills for a subcontract administrator include price analysis, purchase orders and program management. The most important skills for a purchasing supervisor are purchase orders, MRP, and supplier performance.

Subcontract administrator vs purchasing supervisor overview

	Subcontract Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Yearly salary	$65,686	$68,702
Hourly rate	$31.58	$33.03
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	51,285	19,412
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a subcontract administrator do?

As a subcontract administrator, you will be responsible for identifying the needs of a company and implement measures and initiatives to fulfill those needs. This role will require you to perform a few tasks, including responding to purchase requisitions, soliciting bids and proposals from new and existing sources, and evaluating terms and awarding the subcontract. You are then expected to monitor the subcontract terms, including plans, progress, and payments. You will also be responsible for negotiating additions, modifications, and deletions of subcontracts.

What does a purchasing supervisor do?

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.

Subcontract administrator vs purchasing supervisor salary

Subcontract administrators and purchasing supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Subcontract Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Average salary	$65,686	$68,702
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $102,000	Between $45,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Urban Institute	CDW
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between subcontract administrator and purchasing supervisor education

There are a few differences between a subcontract administrator and a purchasing supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Subcontract Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Subcontract administrator vs purchasing supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between subcontract administrators' and purchasing supervisors' demographics:

	Subcontract Administrator	Purchasing Supervisor
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 51.7% Female, 48.3%	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% 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%

Differences between subcontract administrator and purchasing supervisor duties and responsibilities

Subcontract administrator example responsibilities.

Coordinate requirements and interface with other division personnel to accomplish timely and cost effective procurement of assign commodities.
Create moderate to complex RFP solicitations and provide additional proposal support including pricing reviews and source selection support.
Administer IDIQ contracts with multiple task orders.
Assist with FFP hardware subcontract in support of NSA contracts.
Negotiate and coordinate additions, deletions, or modifications of DOD subcontracts.
Review and advice on matters of ITAR, FCPA, other Import/Export matters.

Purchasing supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage increasing procurement demands of inventory/supplies for manufacturing activities base on an ERP MRP system.
Lead and analyze all RFQ's, RFI's and RFP's from different qualify vendors.
Interview current and prospective suppliers to determine supplier capabilities, logistics and inventory control and management while negotiate delivery terms.
Review requisitions and RFP's, obtain quotations, negotiate pricing, examine bids and award contracts.
Assist in the yearly budgeting process including RFQ's and establishing contracts both locally and at the corporate level.
Direct large projects by creating RFP's, cost negotiation, and bid analysis on specifications and budget cost provided.

Subcontract administrator vs purchasing supervisor skills

Common subcontract administrator skills

Price Analysis, 11%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Program Management, 5%
Bid Packages, 5%
Non-Disclosure Agreements, 5%
DOD, 4%

Common purchasing supervisor skills

Purchase Orders, 20%
MRP, 5%
Supplier Performance, 4%
Logistics, 4%
Corrective Action, 4%
On-Time Delivery, 4%

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Subcontract Administrator vs Purchasing Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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