Director of Purchasing Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Reading Time: 6 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Director of Purchasing. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Director of Purchasings.

Job Duties

Directors of purchasing are responsible for overseeing all purchasing decisions in their company. They set a chain of command in place that is in charge of purchases and inventory in the organization. They also develop relationships with vendors to ensure that the best prices are obtained, while at the same time being responsible for delivery, contracts, and accountability.

These professionals work closely with all other departments within the organization to ensure that the right purchases are made. They manage inventory and plan for it to always have the right stock levels. They often have to travel, attending trade fairs and shows.

Other job duties of a director of purchasing include:

  • Holding responsibility for the inventory, ensuring that purchases are made on time and the necessary goods are distributed appropriately
  • Managing all staff in the purchasing department
  • Holding administrative responsibility for purchasing paperwork, including orders, contracts, and invoices.
  • Researching new vendors, set service level agreements, and negotiate contracts

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 520,400 purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Manufacturing: 23%
  • Wholesale trade: 15%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 10%
  • Retail trade: 9%
  • Federal government: 8%

How to Become

It is common for a director of purchasing to hold a master’s degree, although smaller organizations may accept a bachelor’s. Work experience is incredibly important.

Education Requirements

A director of purchasing is almost always expected to hold a bachelor’s degree, although the size of the organization does play a role in this. The major of the degree should be in supply management, finance, or business. Work experience is very important, as it demonstrates that someone has gained on the job training.

A purchasing director may also obtain various forms of certification, although this is generally not a legal requirement. Appropriate certifications include:

    • Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP) offered by the American Purchasing Society
    • Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) offered by APICS
    • Senior Professional in Supply Chain Management (SPSM) offered by the Next Level Purchasing Association
    • Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) offered by the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC)
    • Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) offered by the UPPCC

All certifications are valid for a limited time only and must therefore be renewed through further training and examinations. Organizations such as the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) offer training for these courses.

A director of purchasing will typically have at least five years’ working experience in a relevant area. Typically, these professionals grow into their role through internal promotions. Others are brought in externally, in which case, education weighs more heavily in recruitment.

Traits & Qualities

The most effective directors of purchasing have the following traits to some degree or other:

      • Strong analytical skills
      • Excellent decision making skills
      • Very good mathematical skills
      • Excellent negotiating skills
      • Computer skills, particularly in relation to inventory control software
      • Management and leadership skills to motivate employees across the board
      • Financial skills, particularly focusing on budget management
      • Strong communication skills, both verbal and written

Minimum Education

Master’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Director of Purchasing was $90,585. This number is estimated from over 158,124 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $47.18 and monthly of $7,549.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$194,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Director of Purchasing salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, California had the largest quoted salary of $111,651 while Arizona had the smallest quoted salary of $74,884.

AlabamaIndianaNew JerseyTennessee
ArizonaKentuckyNew MexicoTexas
CaliforniaMarylandNew York
FloridaMichiganOhio
GeorgiaMinnesotaPennsylvania
Alabama$82,649Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Aerotek.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$23,000

$179,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$74,884Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
California$111,651Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hutchinson Consulting – Hospitality Recruiters, Gecko Hospitality, Material and Contract Services, LLC, and Material and Contract Services, Inc..

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$40,000

$219,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$76,855Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Florida State College at Jacksonville and University of South Florida.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$26,000

$154,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$81,915Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Alliance Search Solutions.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$172,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$107,323Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$33,000

$222,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$75,877Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hansen Agri-PLACEMENT.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$89,975Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Community College of Baltimore County and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$23,000

$201,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$102,842Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like fulltimeGiGS.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$40,000

$194,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$88,367Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like JP Staffing.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$45,000

$146,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$92,604Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$24,000

$204,000

Salary Distribution
New Mexico$79,111Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Central New Mexico Community College.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$32,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
New York$85,957Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Goodwin Recruiting, SUNY College at Plattsburgh, Pinnacle Dietary, and New York City Department of Education.

  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$19,000

$201,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$86,816Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like EXECUTIVE CATERERS.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$24,000

$188,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$95,847Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Career Brokers, Inc. and A manufacturer of forged steel wheels and axles for locomotives.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$39,000

$177,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$92,017Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Judge Group and Hamilton Mayer.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$22,000

$210,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$89,603Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Michael Page, Hamilton Mayer, and Homestyle Dining LLC.

  • .
  • .
  • .
  • Most Reported
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .
  • .

$25,000

$193,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Director of Purchasing. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

"It doesn't matter how many times you have failed, you only have to be right once." - Mark Cuban