Purchasing Managers Career, Salary and Skills
Purchasing Managers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $148,080 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 84,320. Wage data is published for 271 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
11-3061.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$148,080
Hourly median
$71.19
Employment
84,320
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Personnel Resources | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Time Management | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Negotiation | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 4.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
Technology
- IBM Lotus Notes
- Automated purchase order software
- Bottomline Technologies Bottomline Sprinter Purchasing Manager
- Bowen & Groves M1 ERP
- Corel Paradox
- Database software
- Epicor Vantage ERP
- Infor Lawson Supply Chain Management
- Materials requirement planning MRP software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Purchasing Managers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Purchasing Managers Salary in TXMedian $134,670 · Employment 9,640
- Purchasing Managers Salary in CAMedian $159,830 · Employment 7,470
- Purchasing Managers Salary in New York, NYMedian $171,810 · Employment 7,370
- Purchasing Managers Salary in NYMedian $166,300 · Employment 6,930
- Purchasing Managers Salary in Washington, DCMedian $172,150 · Employment 4,180
- Purchasing Managers Salary in ILMedian $153,370 · Employment 4,160
- Purchasing Managers Salary in FLMedian $133,410 · Employment 3,960
- Purchasing Managers Salary in VAMedian $166,230 · Employment 3,540
- Purchasing Managers Salary in OHMedian $134,580 · Employment 3,490
- Purchasing Managers Salary in GAMedian $155,360 · Employment 3,430
- Purchasing Managers Salary in NJMedian $174,520 · Employment 3,430
- Purchasing Managers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $137,820 · Employment 3,400
Related careers
- Business Intelligence AnalystsNational median $120,230
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support WorkersNational median $69,500
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales WorkersNational median $87,520
- Administrative Services ManagersNational median $114,130
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and TravelNational median $69,990
- Logistics EngineersNational median $82,320
- Production, Planning, and Expediting ClerksNational median $59,650
- Industrial Production ManagersNational median $126,060
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.