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The differences between technical buyers and purchasing assistants 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 purchasing assistant. Additionally, a technical buyer has an average salary of $60,382, which is higher than the $38,331 average annual salary of a purchasing assistant.
The top three skills for a technical buyer include purchase orders, supplier performance and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a purchasing assistant are purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and customer service.
| Technical Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $60,382 | $38,331 |
| Hourly rate | $29.03 | $18.43 |
| Growth rate | - | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 79,686 | 8,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
A purchasing assistant is responsible for obtaining raw materials and goods for a business or company. They primarily function to assist purchasing managers or supervisors by keeping records, maintaining inventory, reviewing purchase orders, and monitoring shipments and deliveries. Furthermore, a purchasing assistant may perform administrative support tasks ranging from arranging appointments and managing schedules, answering calls and inquiries, reaching out to vendors and suppliers, producing reports, and coordinating with various departments to ensure the smooth flow of products within the company.
Technical buyers and purchasing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $60,382 | $38,331 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $81,000 | Between $31,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Germantown, MD | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Maryland |
| Best paying company | CME Group | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical buyer and a purchasing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Technical Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical buyers' and purchasing assistants' demographics:
| Technical Buyer | Purchasing Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2% |
| 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, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |