Career overview

Purchasing Managers

O*NET-SOC 11-3061.00

Median pay / yr$139,510

OutlookAverage

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.

What it takes

The skills, knowledge, and credentials employers look for in Purchasing Managers.

Skills employers look for

Active ListeningGiving 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 ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Knowledge areas

Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Economics and AccountingKnowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.