Purchasing Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.
What it pays
Purchasing Managers earn a median of $71.19/hr — about $148,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $44.47/hr; the top 10% earn $107.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Purchasing Managers earn a median of $71.19/hr — about $148,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $44.47/hr; the top 10% earn $107.35/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
- Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
- Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
- Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
- Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
- Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.8% of purchasing managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Sales Managers
- Public Relations Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Managers, All Other
- Training and Development Managers
- Financial Managers
Quick questions
- How much does a purchasing manager make?
- The median pay is $71.19 per hour — roughly $148,000 a year, with the real range running from about $44.47/hr (10th percentile) to $107.35/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a purchasing manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a purchasing manager actually do all day?
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures. Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales. Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.