Purchasing managers

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2019 Workforce

222k

Average Age

46.4

Estimated Job Growth

2.6%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$89,106

Average Male Salary

$99,606

Average Female Salary

$78,046

About

Purchasing managers are most often employed by the Construction industry. The average yearly wage for Purchasing managers was $89,106 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Purchasing managers by wage are Advertising sales agents, Atmospheric & space scientists, and General & operations managers.

Purchasing managers are part of the Management occupations, along with General & operations managers, Chief executives & legislators, Advertising & promotions managers, Marketing managers, Sales managers, and 24 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Purchasing managers are Huntsville City (Far West & Southwest) PUMA, AL, Woodlawn, Rose Hill & Mount Vernon PUMA, VA, and North Charleston City PUMA, SC. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Purchasing managers are Huntsville City (Far West & Southwest) PUMA, AL, Woodlawn, Rose Hill & Mount Vernon PUMA, VA, and Reston (North) & Franklin Farm PUMA, VA.

Management occupations Management, business, & financial occupations Management, business, science, & arts occupations

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Purchasing managers and on wages and locations for those in the field. Construction is the industry that employs the most Purchasing managers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Purchasing managers, by average wage, is Petroleum refining. Purchasing managers are paid most in Bethesda, Potomac & North Bethesda PUMA, MD but are relatively concentrated in Huntsville City (Far West & Southwest) PUMA, AL.

Wages

Yearly Wage

$89,106

AVERAGE SALARY

± $3,243

In 2019, Purchasing managers earned an average of $89,106, $33,582 more than than the average national salary of $55,524.

Advertising sales agents make somewhat more than Purchasing managers while Atmospheric & space scientists make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Purchasing managers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.316

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Purchasing managers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.316, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Purchasing managers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Purchasing managers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Purchasing managers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Purchasing managers.

Industries

Most Common

The most common industries employing Purchasing managers, by number of employees, are Construction, Aircraft & parts manufacturing, National security & international affairs, General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Executive offices & legislative bodies, Architectural, engineering & related services, Computer Systems Design, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, Motor vehicles & motor vehicle equipment manufacturing, Management, scientific & technical consulting services, and General merchandise stores, including warehouse clubs and supercenters.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Purchasing managers, by average wage, are Petroleum refining, Pharmaceutical & medicine manufacturing, and Drugs, sundries, & chemical & allied products merchant wholesalers .

Industries by Share

222k

2019 Workforce

± 11,553

10.4%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 6.84%

The number of people employed as Purchasing managers has been growing at a rate of 10.4%, from 200,883 people in 2018 to 221,773 people in 2019.

This graphic shows the share of Purchasing managers employed by various industries. Construction employs the largest share of Purchasing managers at 5.88%, followed by Aircraft & parts manufacturing with 5.02% and National security & international affairs with 4.98%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Purchasing managers in the US. The average age of male Purchasing managers in the workforce is 46.2 and of female Purchasing managers is 46.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Purchasing managers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Gender Composition

114k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 8,278

108k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 8,066

51.3% of Purchasing managers are Male, making them the more common gender in the occupation. This chart shows the gender breakdown of Purchasing managers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Purchasing managers

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

75.7% of Purchasing managers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 7.57% of Purchasing managers, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Purchasing managers.

Age by Gender

46.2

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 0.92

46.6

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 0.886

The median age of Purchasing managers is 46.4, and Male employees are generally 0.328 years younger than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Purchasing managers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Purchasing managers is Business but a relatively high number of Purchasing managers hold a major in Business.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Purchasing managers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Purchasing managers need many skills, but most especially Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, and Critical Thinking. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Purchasing managers need more than the average amount of Management of Financial Resources, Management of Material Resources, and Operations Analysis.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

Projections

Projections on job growth for Purchasing Managers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Purchasing Managers are expected to see a growth of 2.6% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

2.6%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Purchasing Managers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.