Occupation · SOC 13-1023
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.
Median wage
—
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
—
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
116 mapped
Core skills
NegotiationReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingActive LearningJudgment and Decision Making
Knowledge areas
English LanguageLaw and GovernmentCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementAdministrative
Technology & tools
Accounting softwareDocument management softwareSpreadsheet softwareData base user interface and query softwareAnalytical or scientific software
Representative tasks
Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.Maintain and review computerized or manual records of purchased items, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories.Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time, and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments.Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges.Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Purchase orders and bid solicitations — prepare and submit under direct supervision using organizational templates and procurement software.Applicable procurement laws and regulations — identify and monitor with guidance from senior agents in a regulated purchasing environment.Product specifications and technical documentation — review and interpret under supervision to support routine goods and services procurement.Supplier information and pricing data — compile and organize using database software to support evaluation by senior purchasing staff.Requisitions for goods and services — process and verify for completeness and compliance in a structured corporate procurement office.Price proposals and financial reports — gather and summarize using spreadsheet software for review by experienced purchasing agents.Procurement policies and standard bid procedures — follow and apply consistently when executing routine purchasing tasks under direction.Vendor catalogs, contracts, and product documentation — read and extract relevant specifications to assist in purchasing decisions.Purchasing clerks and expediters — support and coordinate with under the guidance of a senior purchasing agent or supervisor.Basic negotiation and supplier communication — conduct for low-complexity purchases with scripted parameters set by a supervising agent.
developing
Supplier evaluations — conduct independently across multiple criteria including price, quality, reliability, and distribution capacity for mid-tier procurement needs.Price proposals and market data — analyze using financial analysis and spreadsheet software to determine fair and reasonable pricing for recurring purchases.Product specifications — write and maintain with working technical knowledge of the goods and services being procured in an industrial or commercial setting.Bid proposals and purchase orders — solicit, review, and process with minimal oversight, ensuring compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements.Procurement regulations and applicable laws — monitor and apply consistently across active purchasing contracts to reduce organizational compliance risk.Negotiation with established suppliers — lead for standard contracts, applying persuasion skills to secure favorable pricing and service terms.Purchasing clerks and expediters — train and assign tasks to, monitoring workload and output quality in a departmental procurement environment.Supplier performance data — track and evaluate using database reporting software to inform vendor selection and contract renewal decisions.Procurement documentation and correspondence — draft clearly using word processing software, applying strong written communication skills across varied stakeholder audiences.Time-sensitive purchasing demands — manage and prioritize independently, balancing multiple active requisitions within budget and delivery constraints.
proficient
Complex supplier evaluations — execute autonomously, synthesizing price, quality, reputation, production capacity, and risk data to recommend optimal procurement strategies.Highest-quality merchandise at lowest cost — source and secure in correct quantities by applying advanced negotiation, market analysis, and inductive reasoning across diverse categories.Bid proposal policies and procurement procedures — design and implement for an organization, ensuring legal compliance and operational efficiency across all purchasing activities.Non-routine pricing challenges — resolve by analyzing financial reports, economic trends, and supplier cost structures using analytical and financial analysis software.Product and service specifications — author with deep technical knowledge for complex or specialized goods, establishing quality benchmarks that govern supplier performance.Full procurement cycle — manage end-to-end without oversight, from requisition through contract award and delivery, across a broad portfolio of goods and services.Purchasing staff — mentor and develop, providing instructional guidance on procurement best practices, regulatory compliance, and negotiation techniques.Management of financial resources — exercise judgment over significant procurement budgets, optimizing expenditure and identifying cost-reduction opportunities across the supply base.Supplier relationship risks — identify and mitigate proactively using social perceptiveness and data-driven monitoring of vendor reliability and market conditions.Cross-functional procurement needs — coordinate with engineering, finance, and legal stakeholders to align purchasing decisions with organizational objectives and contractual obligations.
advanced
Organizational procurement strategy — develop and direct at enterprise scale, setting long-term sourcing direction that aligns with financial, operational, and regulatory objectives.Procurement policies and bid frameworks — formulate and institutionalize across business units, establishing governance standards that ensure consistency, compliance, and competitive value.Purchasing department leadership — provide by hiring, training, and supervising buyers, agents, and clerks, building a high-performing team equipped to handle complex procurement environments.Management of material and financial resources — oversee at the executive level, ensuring optimal allocation of procurement budgets and inventory investments across the organization.Strategic supplier partnerships — cultivate and negotiate at the C-suite and executive level, securing enterprise-wide agreements that deliver sustained cost, quality, and supply chain advantages.Regulatory compliance frameworks — architect and maintain for procurement operations, integrating applicable laws and government requirements into policy, training, and audit processes.Organizational risk exposure in sourcing — anticipate and mitigate by applying complex problem-solving and judgment across volatile market conditions, geopolitical factors, and supplier disruptions.Procurement innovation and technology adoption — champion by evaluating and deploying advanced analytical, project management, and database tools that transform purchasing efficiency and decision quality.Cross-enterprise procurement intelligence — synthesize from financial reports, market analytics, and supplier data to advise executive leadership on capital expenditure and supply chain investment decisions.Industry and professional standards in purchasing — represent and advance by contributing to policy development, industry forums, and internal knowledge-sharing that elevate the organization's procurement capabilities.
Also known as
162 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Manager, ContractsAcquisition Manager, Tanker (Air Force 63A4S)Storekeeper (Coast Guard SK)Procurement and Contracting BuyerContracting, C2ISREW (Air Force 64P3Z)Acquisition Manager, Helicopter or EWO (Air Force 63A4V)Equipment, Supplies, and Tools Purchasing AgentContracting Journeyman (Air Force 6C051)Sourcing SpecialistContracting, Special Operations (Air Force 64P3Y)Fuel AgentContracting (Air Force 64P3)Acquisition Manager, Helicopter or EWO (Air Force 63A1V)Acquisition Manager, Special Operations (Air Force 63A4Y)Requirements Manager (Marine Corps 8640)Acquisition Manager, RPA (Air Force 63A4M)Postal Clerk (Marine Corps 0161)Acquisition Manager, Bomber (Air Force 63A4R)Procurement Management Officer (Navy 1476)Contracting, Helicopter or EWO (Air Force 64P1V)Contracting, Airlift (Air Force 64P4T)Property Accounting Technician (Army 920A)Contracting Helper (Air Force 6C011)Acquisition Manager, Bomber (Air Force 63A1R)Pulpwood BuyerDefense Systems Acquisition Officer (Marine Corps 8816)Contracting, Special Operations (Air Force 64P4Y)Acquisition Manager, Airlift (Air Force 63A4T)Purchasing CoordinatorProcurement CoordinatorContractor BuyerLogistics Plans Journeyman (Air Force 2G051)Contracting, General (Air Force 64P1W)Procurement SpecialistAcquisition Manager, Fighter (Air Force 63A3P)Purchasing SpecialistReserve Independent Duty Ashore Logistics Specialist (Navy S05A)Acquisition Manager, Special Operations (Air Force 63A1Y)Purchasing Administrator (Purchasing Admin)Acquisition Manager, ABM (Air Force 63A3N)