Career
Purchasing managers
Decide what an organization buys, from whom, and at what price.
$148,080
Median pay
+4.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
6,400
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
- Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
- Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
- Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
- Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on persuasion & leadership, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Management of Personnel Resources, Speaking, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $148,080 a year and 6,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Business AdministrationSee the degree →
- Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts ManagementCIP 52.0202
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Procurement Clerks$50,580 · -8.1%
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
- Logistics Analysts
- Logisticians$82,320 · +17.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.