Purchasing Managers: Job Description
You may be wondering, what does a purchasing manager do? Certified purchasing managers (CPMs) are responsible for obtaining the best possible quality goods and services for their clients at the lowest possible costs. Their job duties include monitoring inventories, sales records, and purchasing levels. CPMs are also responsible for researching industry trends, products, and suppliers and negotiating with service providers and vendors. They also create and monitor purchasing budgets and make purchase-related recommendations to management. As members of upper management, certified purchase managers supervise other purchasing staff. Product availability, price, and reliability are some of the considerations CPMs take into consideration when making purchasing decisions.
Purchasing Managers: Essential Information
Purchasing professionals have the pleasure of shopping as their main job. The function of purchasing manager jobs is to help clients have the best shopping experience possible at the lowest price. A certified purchasing manager (CPM) is usually a buyer with several years of industry experience. Buyer, agent and manager are designations that vary by employer or industry. In organizations using more than one of those titles, the CPM is the top position. A business degree, especially with a focus in purchasing or supply management, is particularly useful for certified purchasing managers.
| Required Education | Bachelor's degree |
| Certification Options | Institute for Supply Management; American Purchasing Society; Association for Operations Management; Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council |
| Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)* | 3% for all purchasing managers |
| Median Salary (2019)* | $121,110 for all purchase managers |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Purchasing Managers: Career Information
Career Opportunities for Purchasing Managers
Most purchasing professionals do not begin their careers in management roles. A purchasing agent who has accumulated enough experience on the job may be promoted to assistant purchasing manager before becoming a purchasing manager, supply manager, or director of materials management. At the highest job levels, a purchasing manager's duties might incorporate other management functions, including logistics, marketing, planning, and production. Continuing education and a professional certification is vital for advancement in purchasing management.
Salary Information for Purchasing Managers
How much do purchasing managers make? The answer may surprise you. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) reports that in May of 2019, purchasing managers earned a median annual wage of $121,110. In that group, the annual salary of the lowest ten percent was $71,4500 or less, while the top ten percent made $193,400 or more.
Purchasing Managers: Education & Training
- Obtain a high school diploma
- Obtain a bachelor's degree in most cases
- Consider a master's degree in business administration
CPM requirements involve both education and work experience. Most employers prefer to hire purchasing managers with a four-year college degree. A business degree, especially with a focus in purchasing or supply management, is particularly useful. Another good combination is an undergraduate degree in a technical field and a master's degree in business administration. Useful areas of study to prepare for a career in purchasing or supply management include business law, finance, negotiation tactics and business ethics. Employers prefer hiring applicants who are familiar with their company's products or services, so some industry-specific study may be helpful as well.
On-the-Job Training for Purchasing Managers
All purchasing staff, regardless of their degree status, must be trained in the particulars of their company's business. Entry-level job titles within the purchasing management field include junior or assistant buyer and purchasing clerk. Training methods for new purchasing managers can vary depending on the businesses and organizations that employ them. Trainees often work under close supervision as managerial assistants. Some businesses require their purchasing managers to attend training courses or take distance education classes in topics like supply chain management concepts and processes, pricing strategies and global sourcing.
Key Skills for Purchasing Managers
Certified purchasing managers must be able to effectively use the Internet as well as supply databases and word processing software. In addition to having computer and technology skills, purchasing manager requirements include good planning and mathematical abilities, familiarity with supply chain management, knowledge of how to perform financial analysis and the ability to analyze technical data. Foreign language skills are useful for those who want to work for international businesses.
Purchasing Managers: Professional Certifications
There are several purchasing manager certification options, each with its own education and work experience requirements. Perhaps the best-known is the purchasing manager certificate conferred by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).
Currently, the ISM has a Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) certification available. The American Purchasing Society confers the Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP) certificate. The Association for Operations Management offers a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certificate.
Purchasing professionals who work for government entities can earn a credential as a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) or a Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) through the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council.
Experience can play an important factor for employment for a certified purchasing manager to enter directly into a management position. Not all employers require certification, but a certification can increase job and salary prospects for any professional. Multiple certifications are available depending on a candidate's field and whether they are focusing on the private or public sector.
