Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between technical buyers and planner/buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a technical buyer and a planner/buyer. Additionally, a technical buyer has an average salary of $60,382, which is higher than the $54,261 average annual salary of a planner/buyer.
The top three skills for a technical buyer include purchase orders, supplier performance and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a planner/buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Technical Buyer | Planner/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,382 | $54,261 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $26.09 |
| Growth rate | - | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 79,686 | 33,452 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Technical Buyers are tasked with managing several materials, products, or services to promote the business. They must be in touch with the stakeholder because he/she is tasked with the high screening and contracting with the suppliers.
The role of buyers/planners is to ensure that office materials and equipment are well-supplied within their organization. They decide and purchase the materials needed for use or resale by their organization. They are responsible for evaluating prospective suppliers based on their cost, product quality, and delivery times. They are also the ones who negotiate contracts specifying the payment terms, price, and delivery schedules. Most employers prefer their buyer to have earned a bachelor's degree with a major in operations management or business management.
Technical buyers and planner/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Buyer | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $60,382 | $54,261 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $81,000 | Between $37,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Germantown, MD | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | CME Group | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical buyer and a planner/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Buyer | Planner/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical buyers' and planner/buyers' demographics:
| Technical Buyer | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.6% 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, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |