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.
This is a specialization of
Operations ManagersCareer Overview Video
AI Impact Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Score 2/6: high AI task exposure indicates this career is being transformed by AI
How we calculated this:
59% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
+3% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 14/25
Key Responsibilities
- 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.
- Administer online purchasing systems.
- Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.
- Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.
- Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
Education & Training
Typical Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
Time to Job Ready
4-6 years
Based on Job Zone 4. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.
Technology Skills
Key Abilities
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Find jobs and training programs for purchasing managers- Median salary: $136K/year
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Compensation Details
Based on 77,530 employed workers
Also Known As
Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
O*NET Code: 11-3061.00