Also called: Procurement Specialist, Buyer, Sourcing Specialist
Buys the materials, parts, and supplies a company needs at the best price and quality.
You compare quotes from three suppliers for 10,000 steel brackets, negotiate a better deal, and check that deliveries arrive on time. You visit suppliers and solve shortages.
Approximate BLS figures for purchasing agents.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in business or supply chain; certifications like CPSM help.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Supply Chain Management, Business Administration.
Shrinking (about -2% over 10 years). BLS projects slight decline as e-procurement spreads.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI sourcing tools compare suppliers and place routine orders; buyers shift to negotiation and supplier problems, with fewer jobs.
Classes: Business, Economics, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1023.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.