Technical buyer vs purchasing buyer

The differences between technical buyers and purchasing 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 purchasing buyer. Additionally, a technical buyer has an average salary of $60,382, which is higher than the $47,471 average annual salary of a purchasing buyer.

The top three skills for a technical buyer include purchase orders, supplier performance and strategic sourcing. The most important skills for a purchasing buyer are purchase orders, logistics, and cost savings.

Technical buyer vs purchasing buyer overview

	Technical Buyer	Purchasing Buyer
Yearly salary	$60,382	$47,471
Hourly rate	$29.03	$22.82
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	79,686	21,158
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a technical buyer do?

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.

What does a purchasing buyer do?

In a retail setting, a purchasing buyer is primarily responsible for devising strategies for procuring supplies, ensuring that it aligns with the company's needs and standards. They are also responsible for conducting thorough marketing research and analysis, coordinating with different departments to gather and process documentation, liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers, and keeping track of all purchasing orders to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Furthermore, as a purchasing buyer, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions and submit regular reports to supervisors.

Technical buyer vs purchasing buyer salary

Technical buyers and purchasing buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Technical Buyer	Purchasing Buyer
Average salary	$60,382	$47,471
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $81,000	Between $35,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Germantown, MD	Goleta, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	California
Best paying company	CME Group	Aramco Services Company
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Automotive

Differences between technical buyer and purchasing buyer education

There are a few differences between a technical buyer and a purchasing buyer in terms of educational background:

	Technical Buyer	Purchasing Buyer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Technical buyer vs purchasing buyer demographics

Here are the differences between technical buyers' and purchasing buyers' demographics:

	Technical Buyer	Purchasing Buyer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%
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, 9.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 7.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between technical buyer and purchasing buyer duties and responsibilities

Technical buyer example responsibilities.

Manage assign plastics, metals and electronic commodities, to ensure quality, quantity and delivery standards are attain.
Support cross-region store openings and manage various procurement programs including hardware and POS systems.
Manage activities of purchasing, production planning and scheduling, inventory management, warehousing and logistics.
Develop RFP's and RFI's to leverage buying power with vendors.
Source suppliers and material, create RFQ's, and drive cost savings initiatives.
Utilize the Lawson ERP system for procurement.

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Purchasing buyer example responsibilities.

Manage the development of RFP process per departmental and legal requirements.
Create and manage requisitions, code billing statements and reconcile monthly bills in PeopleSoft.
Manage logistics and materials receive for appropriate quantities, timeliness and accuracy to complete project project.
Complete request for quotation (RFQ), design reviews, and advance product quality planning (APQP).
Used MRP to track and develop orders for electronic and mechanical commodities for high volume 32,000 a day unit product.
Make purchasing decisions base on the examination and recommendations of the ERP planning system and issuing and maintaining supplier purchase orders.

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Technical buyer vs purchasing buyer skills

Common technical buyer skills

Purchase Orders, 14%
Supplier Performance, 10%
Strategic Sourcing, 5%
Vendor Relationships, 5%
POS, 4%
ERP, 4%

Common purchasing buyer skills

Purchase Orders, 29%
Logistics, 6%
Cost Savings, 5%
ERP, 4%
MRP, 4%
RFQ, 4%

Technical Buyer vs. similar jobs

Technical Buyer related careers

Technical Buyer related jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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