Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.
- O*NET-SOC code
13-1023.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products separately. These are the figures for Buyers and Purchasing Agents (13-1020), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.
Median annual wage, U.S.$77,710
Employment, U.S.491,430
Median hourly wage$37.36
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $48,380 | $60,800 | $77,710 | $100,820 | $128,870 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8,960 | $74,030 | 1.34 |
| Alaska | 890 | $83,460 | 0.87 |
| Arizona | 10,870 | $75,340 | 1.06 |
| Arkansas | 4,510 | $75,870 | 1.09 |
| California | 48,010 | $82,720 | 0.83 |
| Colorado | 10,080 | $83,590 | 1.11 |
| Connecticut | 5,530 | $83,030 | 1.03 |
| Delaware | 1,400 | $82,920 | 0.91 |
| District of Columbia | 1,880 | $124,090 | 0.85 |
| Florida | 30,270 | $72,850 | 0.96 |
| Georgia | 15,710 | $74,530 | 1.02 |
| Hawaii | 1,720 | $74,240 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | 1,610 | $69,240 | 0.60 |
| Illinois | 19,660 | $78,470 | 1.02 |
| Indiana | 10,720 | $69,350 | 1.06 |
| Iowa | 4,570 | $70,360 | 0.93 |
| Kansas | 6,470 | $69,500 | 1.42 |
| Kentucky | 5,440 | $65,240 | 0.86 |
| Louisiana | 3,440 | $66,340 | 0.56 |
| Maine | 1,180 | $77,630 | 0.58 |
| Maryland | 8,900 | $90,900 | 1.02 |
| Massachusetts | 12,820 | $85,970 | 1.12 |
| Michigan | 16,680 | $75,900 | 1.20 |
| Minnesota | 10,960 | $80,370 | 1.18 |
| Mississippi | 2,240 | $71,850 | 0.61 |
| Missouri | 8,070 | $65,650 | 0.87 |
| Montana | 1,230 | $62,850 | 0.76 |
| Nebraska | 2,850 | $74,950 | 0.88 |
| Nevada | 2,310 | $72,990 | 0.47 |
| New Hampshire | 2,580 | $77,270 | 1.19 |
| New Jersey | 12,180 | $93,250 | 0.90 |
| New Mexico | 2,250 | $76,740 | 0.82 |
| New York | 31,240 | $79,460 | 1.02 |
| North Carolina | 14,290 | $75,880 | 0.92 |
| North Dakota | 880 | $76,400 | 0.65 |
| Ohio | 21,640 | $76,410 | 1.23 |
| Oklahoma | 4,750 | $71,850 | 0.88 |
| Oregon | 7,090 | $75,050 | 1.14 |
| Pennsylvania | 17,430 | $73,550 | 0.91 |
| Rhode Island | $86,240 | ||
| South Carolina | 6,150 | $75,550 | 0.84 |
| South Dakota | 1,180 | $73,990 | 0.81 |
| Tennessee | 11,420 | $65,430 | 1.10 |
| Texas | 44,030 | $76,050 | 0.99 |
| Utah | 4,090 | $74,540 | 0.75 |
| Vermont | 1,010 | $65,330 | 1.05 |
| Virginia | 22,120 | $89,210 | 1.70 |
| Washington | 15,400 | $85,130 | 1.37 |
| West Virginia | 1,130 | $75,670 | 0.51 |
| Wisconsin | 9,240 | $70,880 | 0.99 |
| Wyoming | 570 | $72,200 | 0.64 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purchasing Managers | 4 | 0.980 |
| 2 | Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | 4 | 0.970 |
| 3 | Project Management Specialists | 4 | 0.968 |
| 4 | Customs Brokers | 3 | 0.966 |
| 5 | Compliance Managers | 4 | 0.966 |
| 6 | Procurement Clerks | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 7 | Medical and Health Services Managers | 4 | 0.964 |
| 8 | Administrative Services Managers | 3 | 0.964 |
| 9 | Information Technology Project Managers | 4 | 0.964 |
| 10 | General and Operations Managers | 4 | 0.963 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | Systems Analysis | 0.87 | 0.956 |
| Fundraisers | Coordination | 0.88 | 0.955 |
| Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners | Coordination | 1.00 | 0.953 |
| Logistics Analysts | Systems Analysis | 1.12 | 0.950 |
| Financial Managers | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.88 | 0.949 |
| Wind Energy Development Managers | Coordination | 0.88 | 0.949 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | Coordination | 0.88 | 0.948 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products, excluding software Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| 10 of 20 | 8.7x | |
| Oracle Hyperion | 9 of 20 | 8.1x |
| Sage 50 Accounting | 8 of 20 | 8.8x |
| Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge | 8 of 20 | 8.4x |
| Human resource management software HRMS | 8 of 20 | 8.4x |
| Google Drive | 9 of 20 | 6.5x |
| Qlik Tech QlikView | 8 of 20 | 7.5x |
| Microsoft Publisher | 10 of 20 | 4.9x |
| Fund accounting software | 7 of 20 | 9.0x |
| Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS | 7 of 20 | 8.1x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 4.25 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 4.56 | 4.95 |
| Law and Government | 4.26 | 4.55 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.22 | 5.53 |
| Administration and Management | 4.05 | 4.95 |
| Administrative | 3.63 | 5.10 |
| Mathematics | 3.37 | 4.25 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.32 | 4.05 |
| Economics and Accounting | 3.26 | 3.80 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.84 | 3.70 |
| Education and Training | 2.83 | 3.85 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.74 | 2.80 |
| Communications and Media | 2.67 | 2.90 |
| Transportation | 2.50 | 2.79 |
| Production and Processing | 2.47 | 2.50 |
| Telecommunications | 2.42 | 2.05 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.37 | 3.10 |
| Psychology | 2.32 | 2.65 |
| Building and Construction | 2.26 | 2.35 |
| Design | 2.17 | 2.25 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.16 | 2.35 |
| Mechanical | 2.11 | 2.15 |
| Geography | 2.00 | 2.05 |
| Food Production | 1.89 | 1.65 |
| Physics | 1.79 | 1.35 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.68 | 1.85 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.58 | 1.45 |
| Chemistry | 1.58 | 1.25 |
| Foreign Language | 1.56 | 1.00 |
| Biology | 1.53 | 1.10 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.50 | 1.00 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.37 | 1.15 |
| History and Archeology | 1.37 | 0.90 |
| Fine Arts | 1.26 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Written Comprehension | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Written Expression | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.25 |
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Number Facility | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Memorization | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Far Vision | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Visualization | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Depth Perception | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.12 | not rated |
| Control Precision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.00 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Microsoft SharePoint in demand
- Microsoft Word in demand
- SAP software in demand
- Adobe Acrobat hot
- Google Docs hot
- Intuit QuickBooks hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Project hot
- Microsoft Visio hot
- Oracle Database hot
- Oracle PeopleSoft hot
- Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management hot
- Apple AppleWorks
- Assured Software JPP
- CPR International GeneralCOST Estimator
- CPR Visual Estimator
- Choice Job Cost
- Construction Management Software ProEst
- Corel QuattroPro
- Cost accounting software
- Cost estimating software
- Database reporting software
- Database software
- Dexter + Cheney Spectrum Construction Software
- FileMaker Pro
- Galorath SEER-SEM
All 56
- Google Ads
- IBM Cognos Impromptu
- IBM Costimater
- IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- IBM Notes
- IBM Power Systems software
- Infor ERP SyteLine
- Inventory management systems
- MicroStrategy
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Dynamics GP
- NetSuite ERP
- Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
- QSM SLIM Suite
- Resources Calculations Incorporated SoftCost
- SAP Business Objects
- SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
- Sage 100 Contractor
- SmugMug Flickr
- Softstar Costar COCOMO II
- Software AG enterprise software
- Web browser software
- WinEstimator WinEst
- Xactware Xactimate
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products separately. These are the figures for Buyers and Purchasing Agents (13-1020), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | 730 | 3.28 | $111,530 |
| Huntsville, AL | 2,740 | 3.26 | $94,990 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 2,190 | 2.52 | Not available |
| Warner Robins, GA | 580 | 2.43 | $100,120 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 2,850 | 2.42 | $94,520 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 950 | 2.35 | $75,110 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 1,320 | 2.32 | $84,730 |
| Richmond, VA | 4,000 | 1.92 | $82,370 |
| Aguadilla, PR | 290 | 1.90 | $54,550 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 4,390 | 1.82 | $79,380 |