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The differences between vending managers and purchasing managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a vending manager, becoming a purchasing manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a vending manager has an average salary of $102,106, which is higher than the $98,118 average annual salary of a purchasing manager.
The top three skills for a vending manager include vendor management, project management and vendor performance. The most important skills for a purchasing manager are supply chain, strategic sourcing, and project management.
| Vending Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $102,106 | $98,118 |
| Hourly rate | $49.09 | $47.17 |
| Growth rate | 16% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 75,079 | 30,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A vending manager is in charge of overseeing and managing vending machine operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around devising strategies to identify potential business areas, collecting cash from machines, liaising with clients, delegating tasks, and coordinating refilling and repair procedures. They must also produce progress and revenue reports, implement solutions, and resolve issues promptly. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A purchasing manager is responsible for organizing and managing products to order or sell. Purchasing managers review product specifications, negotiate pricing details with the vendors, evaluate and choose the best suppliers, and assist purchasing agents. Purchase managers are also responsible for resolving order processing issues and analyzing current market trends to determine which products to purchase. A purchasing manager must have excellent decision-making and strategical skills to examine effects, inspect defective items, and create an in-depth analysis of customers' needs to improve their performance and sales.
Vending managers and purchasing managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vending Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average salary | $102,106 | $98,118 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $147,000 | Between $70,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bothell, WA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maine |
| Best paying company | Apple | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a vending manager and a purchasing manager in terms of educational background:
| Vending Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between vending managers' and purchasing managers' demographics:
| Vending Manager | Purchasing Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.4% Female, 44.6% | Male, 67.0% Female, 33.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |