What does a Purchaser do?
Purchasers work with their organization or business to supervise and coordinate the buying of finished products, materials and services in a professionally coordinated way. Their responsibilities also include monitoring purchasing expenses and keeping track of accounts and contracts, as well as monitoring inventory, so they know when to top up supplies or buy specific goods and services.
For the most part, purchasers conduct their work in-house or in an office context, but they may also visit their sales sources for in-person assessments. Sometimes, purchasers personally interview vendors to ensure product or service quality. In general, their job requires working closely with suppliers for the sake of proper quality control.
Purchaser skills and qualifications
A competent purchaser or purchasing agent will need to have various essential skills and qualifications to perform their duties successfully:
- Logistical qualifications
- Analytical thinking ability
- Negotiation and business relations skills
- Accounting acumen
- Precise verbal and written communication abilities
- Strong industry experience for accurate product/service quality assessments
Purchaser experience requirements
Purchasers usually need to have four to five years of experience as buyers or in a related capacity before applying for a purchaser position. Experience can be gained through apprentice positions, work-study programs or entry-level assistant openings. In the case of organizations that buy products, services or materials in technical and specialist fields, a purchaser will have to have experience that’s specific to these industries and what they produce. Management-level purchaser positions usually require five years of procurement experience.
Purchaser education and training requirements
The education requirements for purchasers and purchasing agents can vary considerably depending on their specific industry and geographical location. However, purchasers typically need to have a bachelor’s degree or at the very least a high school degree or GED. Many organizations that hire purchasers prefer strong professional experience within the industry the purchaser is applying for. Purchasers who want to advance in their career also often need to be certified by the American Purchasing Society or the Association for Supply Chain Management. Specific degrees in business, finance or industry-specific technical fields are required in some purchasing positions.
Job description samples for similar positions
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Purchaser salary expectations
On average, purchasers or purchasing agents earn $44,345 per year. This salary can vary depending on factors, such as specific industry, geographical location and education requirements by industry. Purchasers can also earn average commission totals of $10,000 per year.
Purchaser job description FAQs
What’s the difference between a purchaser and a purchasing agent?
A purchasing agent and purchaser are usually the same thing. In many cases, the two titles are used interchangeably by different people. In some organizations, a purchaser is informally considered to be a buyer of goods for a company but with less experience and lower salary expectations.
What’s the difference between a buyer and a purchaser?
Buyers are often people who buy goods or services for themselves or their organization that will be resold to others or to consumers. They often work in business-to-consumer settings. Purchasers buy materials for their organization to be used for daily manufacturing or administrative tasks.
Who does a Purchaser usually report to?
Depending on the size of the organization, purchasers usually report to a senior purchasing agent or a purchasing manager. The purchasing manager might coordinate a team of purchasers based on different areas of the organization’s buying needs.
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