Purchasing Managers build management of personnel resources, social perceptiveness and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Sales Managers (89%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sales Managers | 89% | $148,270 | 0% | None |
| 2 | Marketing Managers | 86% | $166,790 | +13% | None |
| 3 | Compliance Managers | 80% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Loss Prevention Managers | 79% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 5 | Wind Energy Development Managers | 79% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 6 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | 78% | $133,660 | −10% | None |
| 7 | Medical and Health Services Managers | 77% | $123,860 | −16% | None |
| 8 | General and Operations Managers | 77% | $105,770 | −29% | None |
| 9 | Chief Executives | 76% | $213,990 | +45% | Graduate degree |
| 10 | Information Technology Project Managers | 76% | $116,580Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Occupations, All Other” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Purchasing Managers, median $148,080. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as purchasing managers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
89% skill match · $148,270 · 0% pay
Operation and Control · Systems Evaluation · Instructing
86% skill match · $166,790 · +13% pay
Systems Evaluation · Operations Analysis · Complex Problem Solving
80% skill match · $141,900 (broader BLS group)
Operation and Control
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Sales Managers (89% skill match, median $148,270), Marketing Managers (86% skill match, median $166,790) and Compliance Managers (80% skill match, median $141,900), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 3 pay more than purchasing managers at the median. The biggest increases: Chief Executives (+45%, $213,990), Architectural and Engineering Managers (+16%, $171,270) and Marketing Managers (+13%, $166,790).
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 3 usually need a graduate degree: Chief Executives, Chief Sustainability Officers and Architectural and Engineering Managers.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.