Purchasing Managers
What they do
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About purchasing managers
Other titles
Category Purchasing Manager, Commodity Manager, Materials Director, Materials Manager, Procurement Director, Procurement Manager, Purchasing Director, Purchasing Supervisor, Strategic Sourcing Director
Tasks they perform
- Represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.
- Develop cost reduction strategies and savings plans.
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
Skills they need
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as purchasing managers.
Supply Chain Managers
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Logistics Analysts
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about purchasing managers with these helpful sites.
- American Purchasing Society (external link opens new tab)
- APICS (external link opens new tab)
- Institute for Supply Management (external link opens new tab)
- National Association of State Procurement Officials (external link opens new tab)
- NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents (external link opens new tab)
- The Association for Supply Chain Management (external link opens new tab)
- Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (external link opens new tab)