Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Forty-three percent of all purchasing managers are employed in wholesale trade or manufacturing establishments. Some firms promote qualified employees to these positions, while other employers recruit college graduates; regardless of academic preparation, new employees need 1 to 5 years to learn the specifics of their employers business. Overall employment growth is expected to be slower than average. Opportunities should be best for those with a college degree.
On average, Purchasing Managers earn $ 81,570 per year.
Job Opportunities for Purchasing Managers are expected to:
Increase slower than average.
Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents shop for a living. They buy the goods and services the company or institution needs to either resell to customers or for the establishments own use. Wholesale and retail buyers purchase goods, such as clothing or electronics, for resale. Purchasing agents buy goods and services for use by their own company or organization; they might buy raw materials for manufacturing or office supplies, for example.
Qualified people may begin as trainees, purchasing clerks, expediters, junior buyers, or assistant buyers. They often need continuing education, certification, or a bachelors degree to advance. Retail and wholesale firms prefer to hire applicants who have a college degree and who are familiar with the merchandise they sell and with wholesaling and retailing practices. Some retail firms promote qualified employees to assistant buyer positions; others recruit and train college graduates as assistant buyers. Most employers use a combination of methods.
Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents held about 529,000 jobs in 2006. About 43 percent worked in the wholesale trade and manufacturing industries and another 11 percent worked in retail trade. The remainder worked mostly in service establishments, such as management of companies and enterprises, or different levels of government.
