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.
Also called: Category Purchasing Manager, Commissary Superintendent, Commodity Manager, Contract Manager, Contracting Manager, Division Merchandise Manager (DMM)
Median pay
$148,080
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$92,490 – $223,280
People employed
84,320
Holland code
ECS
Enterprising · Conventional · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 2.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 3.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Purchasing Managers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (49 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What purchasing managers do
- 01Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
- 02Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
- 03Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
- 04Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
- 05Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
- 06Review, evaluate, and approve specifications for issuing and awarding bids.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Economics and Accounting
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Leadership Orientation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from purchasing managers
- Sales Managers89% · 0%
- Marketing Managers86% · +13%
- Compliance Managers80% · group pay
- Loss Prevention Managers79% · group pay
- Wind Energy Development Managers79% · group pay
Change into purchasing managers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Sales Managers89% · $148,270
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers88% · $69,990
- Logisticians87% · $82,320
- Logistics Analysts86% · $82,320
- Marketing Managers85% · $166,790
Majors that lead here
- Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.