Your Purchasing Salary: Is It Fair?

PurchTips - Edition # 125 May 1, 2007

By Charles Dominick, SPSM

What Is A Good Salary For A Purchasing Agent?

To verify that a number is reasonable, you need a benchmark for comparison. Determining a benchmark salary is tricky because purchasing salaries vary due to the position level, the industry, the location of your employment, and your credentials.

To provide a good purchasing salary benchmark while addressing each of these variables, I’ll first separate salary statistics into two groups: Purchasing Managers and Purchasing Agents. Within each group, I’ll list average salaries across all industries, in different industries, and in different cities. Finally, I’ll share the premium earned by purchasing professionals with credentials. If you’re not from the USA, use the currency converter at www.xe.com to convert the values to your currency.

Average Purchasing Manager Salaries*

• Across All Industries - $81,440
• Accommodation & Food Services - $62,740
• Health Care & Social Assistance - $71,410
• Manufacturing - $79,830
• Professional, Scientific & Tech. Services - $93,410
• Real Estate Rental & Leasing - $105,800
• In Chicago - $75,750
• In Pittsburgh - $77,050
• In Los Angeles - $84,670
• In New York City - $106,110

Average Purchasing Agent Salaries*

• Across All Industries - $52,560
• Accommodation & Food Services - $40,280
• Health Care & Social Assistance - $42,870
• Manufacturing - $50,510
• Professional, Scientific & Tech. Services - $58,500
• Real Estate Rental & Leasing - $49,630
• In Chicago - $54,880
• In Pittsburgh - $52,070
• In Los Angeles - $53,740
• In New York City - $60,660

In a recent survey of over 1,200 purchasing professionals around the world, it was revealed that purchasing professionals possessing the SPSM Certification earn an average of $13,634 more than purchasing professionals without the SPSM.

I hope that this article helps you decide what steps are necessary to maximize your salary and that this information helps you begin earning what you deserve!

* Source: U.S. Department of Labor

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Do you want to research the purchasing salary you should be earning? I’ve prepared “The Guide To Benchmarking Your Purchasing Salary” to teach you the techniques I used to research the purchasing salaries listed in this article. And “The Guide” is FREE!