Purchasing Buyer Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 12 minutes
Reading Time: 12 minutes

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

Job Duties

Purchasing buyers can work in a variety of different fields. Common businesses in which they can be found include car dealerships, grocery stores, and retail stores. The work of a purchasing buyer is both physically and mentally challenging. They have to have an in-depth understanding of the business, and they also have to understand the market in order to purchase the right products. The job is physical because purchasing buyers often have to collect the items they have purchased. That said, most of their work is done indoors, unless they work in car dealerships or related organizations, where the showroom is outdoors. They also work with sellers and public relations professionals from other companies.

Other job duties of a purchasing buyer are:

  • To find new suppliers, choose the merchandise, and negotiate rates and bills of sale
  • To inspect any deliveries, ensuring these are free of errors, have been handled properly, and are of high quality
  • To make sure orders are delivered within budget and on time
  • To resolve any issues with shopping and billing
  • To communicate with suppliers and provide them with information

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:

Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products: 309,400
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products: 123,300
Purchasing managers: 73,900
Buyers and purchasing agents, farm products: 13,700

The largest employers of purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents were as follows:

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

How to Become

Generally, a purchasing buyer holds a bachelor’s degree in business management or administration. Some have other majors, in areas such as fashion or other industry-specific fields.

Education Requirements

A purchasing buyer usually has at least a bachelor’s degree, as well as significant experience in procurement. The size and type of organization they work for will strongly dictate the type of education that is expected. Usually, however, it is one in supply chain management, finance, or business. Industry-specific education, such as agriculture or fashion, may also be accepted.

Typically, a purchasing buyer will also receive extensive on the job training. This is where the will learn how to negotiate with suppliers and how to monitor inventory levels. They may also choose to become certified, something that may be required by their employer. Possible certifications include:

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

All certifications are valid for limited amounts of time, meaning that purchasing buyers must renew them. They can train for their certification and obtain continuous education credits for renewal through organizations such as NASPO (National Association of State Procurement Officials) and NIGP (National Institute of Government Purchasing), to name but a few.

Traits & Qualities

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

      • Strong analytical skills
      • Excellent decision making skills
      • Great mathematical skills
      • Strong negotiating skills

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Purchasing Buyer was $55,296. This number is estimated from over 1,743,524 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $28.80 and monthly of $4,608.

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$14,000

$125,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Purchasing Buyer salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Michigan had the largest quoted salary of $69,845 while DC had the smallest quoted salary of $24,422.

AlaskaIowaMissouriPennsylvania
AlabamaIdahoNorth CarolinaRhode Island
ArkansasIllinoisNorth DakotaSouth Carolina
ArizonaIndianaNebraskaSouth Dakota
CaliforniaKansasNew HampshireTennessee
ColoradoKentuckyNew JerseyTexas
ConnecticutLouisianaNew MexicoUtah
DCMassachusettsNevadaVirginia
DelawareMarylandNew YorkWashington
FloridaMaineOhioWisconsin
GeorgiaMichiganOklahomaWest Virginia
HawaiiMinnesotaOregonWyoming
Alaska$48,255Rank: 37th
The average salary ranks 37th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Alaska USA FCU Buyer, Municipality of Anchorage Buyer, and Quanta Computer Buyer.

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$14,000

$136,000

Salary Distribution
Alabama$52,747Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Supply Chain Consultants Buyer, The Job Jobber Buyer, Affinity Executive Search Buyer, and Amer Technology, Inc Buyer.

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$14,000

$121,000

Salary Distribution
Arkansas$60,412Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Walmart Buyer, SearchStars Buyer, Prevalent Group Buyer, and Plastic Executive Recruiters Buyer.

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$17,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$54,042Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like MRINetwork Buyer, Fast Emerging Team with Russ Lyons Buyer, Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Buyer, and Honeywell Buyer.

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$14,000

$137,000

Salary Distribution
California$54,576Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like SkillSet Group Buyer, UC San Diego Buyer, Groupe LEADER Buyer, and University of California, Santa Barbara Buyer.

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$14,000

$127,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$39,801Rank: 44th
The average salary ranks 44th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gas Unlimited Buyer, System One Buyer, Cyberthink Inc. Buyer, and Randstad Buyer.

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$7.25

$42.60

Salary Distribution
Connecticut$55,494Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Randstad Buyer, Michael Page Buyer, A.R. Mazzotta Buyer, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting Buyer.

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$19,000

$110,000

Salary Distribution
DC$24,422Rank: 48th
The average salary ranks 48th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like reddz trading Buyer.

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$7.25

$39.95

Salary Distribution
Delaware$64,913Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Keller Williams Wilmington/Kennett Square Buyer, Right Recruiting Buyer, and KG Home Team Buyer.

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$31,000

$111,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$48,152Rank: 38th
The average salary ranks 38th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Bealls Inc. Buyer, Stein Mart Buyer, Idea Recruitment Buyer, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting Buyer.

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$14,000

$115,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$56,838Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Braxton Team / First Atlanta Real Estate Buyer, Keller Williams Realty Buyer, Jarvis Team Realty Buyer, and Harper Realty Group of Keller Williams Buyer.

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$14,000

$134,000

Salary Distribution
Hawaii$30,585Rank: 47th
The average salary ranks 47th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Remedy Intelligent Staffing Buyer, Staffing Solutions of Hawaii Buyer, and Reynolds Recycling Buyer.

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$7.25

$30.85

Salary Distribution
Iowa$52,815Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like WorkSource Buyer, MidAmerican Energy Buyer, Accountemps Buyer, and City & National Employment Buyer.

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$18,000

$104,000

Salary Distribution
Idaho$31,584Rank: 46th
The average salary ranks 46th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Capital Group Buyer, Randstad Buyer, Idaho State Police Buyer, and IDAHO DEPT. OF LABOR Buyer.

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$7.25

$31.45

Salary Distribution
Illinois$54,970Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Sears Buyer, Sterling Engineering Buyer, Caterpillar Buyer, and MVP Staffing Buyer.

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$15,000

$119,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$52,110Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Mangrum Career Solutions, LLC Buyer, Rolls-Royce Buyer, Cameron Craig Group Buyer, and Step Beyond Buyer.

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$14,000

$117,000

Salary Distribution
Kansas$44,655Rank: 41st
The average salary ranks 41st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Personnel Services, Inc. Buyer, Robert Half Finance & Accounting Buyer, Stivers Staffing Services, Inc. Buyer, and Summit Employment Buyer.

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$14,000

$109,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$53,312Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Affinity Executive Search Buyer, Phillips Staffing Solutions Buyer, MedExec International Buyer, and The Hastings Group Buyer.

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$15,000

$113,000

Salary Distribution
Louisiana$48,751Rank: 35th
The average salary ranks 35th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Frazee Recruiting Consultants, Inc. Buyer, Robert Half Finance & Accounting Buyer, and Aerotek Buyer.

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$14,000

$116,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$53,844Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Retail Network Buyer, Michael Page Buyer, Robert Half Finance & Accounting Buyer, and PROSERVICES Buyer.

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$14,000

$133,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$49,589Rank: 33rd
The average salary ranks 33rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Aerotek Buyer, Augmentation Buyer, real estate company Buyer, and Whole Foods Market Buyer.

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$14,000

$107,000

Salary Distribution
Maine$44,569Rank: 42nd
The average salary ranks 42nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Cadillac Mountain Sports Buyer, HW Staffing Solutions Buyer, and Coworx Staffing Buyer.

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$14,000

$108,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$69,845Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gables Search Group Buyer, Keller Williams Realty Buyer, ZF Buyer, and Cameron Craig Group Buyer.

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$29,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$51,479Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CPS, Inc. (Consumer Products Laboratory Division) Buyer, Target Buyer, Handy Andy Real Estate Experts Buyer, and DesMarais Enterprises Buyer.

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$15,000

$109,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri$46,238Rank: 39th
The average salary ranks 39th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Agri-associates Buyer, Austin Nichols Buyer, Boone County Government Buyer, and Adecco Buyer.

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$14,000

$106,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$56,509Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TRT Buyer, M&M Staffing, Inc. Buyer, FPC National Buyer, and Micro Tech Staffing Group Buyer.

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$15,000

$125,000

Salary Distribution
North Dakota$56,556Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Adecco Buyer and The Lewis Group Buyer.

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$21,000

$108,000

Salary Distribution
Nebraska$48,333Rank: 36th
The average salary ranks 36th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Nebraska Furniture Mart Buyer and State of Nebraska Buyer.

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$14,000

$149,000

Salary Distribution
New Hampshire$49,443Rank: 34th
The average salary ranks 34th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Leddy Group Buyer, Robert Half Finance & Accounting Buyer, and Masiello Employment Services Buyer.

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$22,000

$86,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$59,802Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Groupe LEADER Buyer, Ajilon Buyer, The Judge Group Buyer, and Swiss Chalet Buyer.

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$15,000

$134,000

Salary Distribution
New Mexico$44,390Rank: 43rd
The average salary ranks 43rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Bernalillo County Government Buyer and City of Albuquerque Buyer.

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$14,000

$111,000

Salary Distribution
Nevada$53,550Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Aerotek Buyer, NV Energy Buyer, Caesars Entertainment Buyer, and TruPath Buyer.

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$14,000

$122,000

Salary Distribution
New York$59,733Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like JBCHoldings LLC Buyer, United Employment Associates Buyer, The ASSURANCE Group Buyer, and Jhony USA Inc. Buyer.

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$14,000

$140,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$54,656Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Russ Hadick & Associates, Inc. Buyer, The Hastings Group Buyer, Cameron Craig Group Buyer, and Phillips Staffing Solutions Buyer.

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$20,000

$105,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$51,767Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like DirectConnect Buyer, Accent Staffing Buyer, TRACStaffing Buyer, and Accounting Principals Buyer.

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$14,000

$124,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon$65,829Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Les Schwab Buyer, Portland Lifestyle Team Buyer, Ajilon Buyer, and Groupe LEADER Buyer.

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$16,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$50,056Rank: 31st
The average salary ranks 31st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Urban Outfitters Inc. Buyer, Paragon Foods Buyer, Johnson Service Group Inc Buyer, and Page Group New Jersey Buyer.

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$14,000

$124,000

Salary Distribution
Rhode Island$49,890Rank: 32nd
The average salary ranks 32nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Spectrum Real Estate Consultants at Keller Williams Realty Buyer, State of Rhode Island Buyer, Procurement People Buyer, and NESCO Resource Buyer.

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$14,000

$106,000

Salary Distribution
South Carolina$60,641Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Mangrum Career Solutions, LLC Buyer, Cameron Craig Group Buyer, fulltimeGiGS Buyer, and PMG Employment Consultants Buyer.

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$23,000

$115,000

Salary Distribution
South Dakota$62,920Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Peterson Goff Real Estate Experts @ Hegg, Realtors Buyer and Experis Buyer.

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$31,000

$106,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$52,174Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Austin Allen Company Buyer, US Xpress Buyer, Professional Recruiting Partners, LLC Buyer, and Keller Williams Realty Buyer.

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$14,000

$115,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$52,001Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Tristream Energy, LLC Buyer, The Coley Realty Group – Texas Premier Realty Buyer, CB&I Buyer, and Randstad Buyer.

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$14,000

$122,000

Salary Distribution
Utah$54,527Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like REDZONE REAL ESTATE Buyer, Boulevard Home Furnishings Buyer, Utah’s Best Real Estate Group Buyer, and University of Utah Buyer.

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$14,000

$129,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$54,894Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CityScape Metro Group–Keller Williams Realty Buyer, Navy Exchange Buyer, U.S. Navy Buyer, and CTR Group Buyer.

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$14,000

$123,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$55,444Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like TECH TAMMINA Buyer, zulily Buyer, AppleOne Buyer, and Groupe LEADER Buyer.

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$15,000

$121,000

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin$52,622Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Johnson Service Group Inc Buyer, IDC Technologies Buyer, PointOne Recruiting Solutions Buyer, and MRINetwork Buyer.

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$16,000

$111,000

Salary Distribution
West Virginia$45,944Rank: 40th
The average salary ranks 40th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Adecco Buyer.

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$14,000

$100,000

Salary Distribution
Wyoming$39,057Rank: 45th
The average salary ranks 45th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Wyoming Buyer, University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Program Buyer, and Adecco Buyer.

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$14,000

$108,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Purchasing Buyer. 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.

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