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The differences between contract administrator/contract specialists and senior purchasing agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a contract administrator/contract specialist and a senior purchasing agent. Additionally, a senior purchasing agent has an average salary of $73,386, which is higher than the $53,425 average annual salary of a contract administrator/contract specialist.
The top three skills for a contract administrator/contract specialist include contract management, purchase orders and contract terms. The most important skills for a senior purchasing agent are purchase orders, project management, and supplier relationships.
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly Salary | $53,425 | $73,386 |
| Hourly rate | $25.69 | $35.28 |
| Growth Rate | 9% | -6% |
| Number Of Jobs | 61,764 | 43,833 |
| Job Satisfaction | - | - |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average Age | 48 | 48 |
| Years Of Experience | 6 | 6 |
A Contract Administrator and Contract Specialist reviews all contracts of the company. They are responsible for reviewing every contract if it is for the company's benefit and if there are hidden risks. This person also helps draft future contracts and inspects new contracts during deals and negotiations. Contract Specialists update existing contracts, propose amendments if necessary, and advise the company on contracts that have risks that may affect the activities of the company.
Senior Purchasing Agents are experienced employees in the company's purchasing department. They oversee the purchase requisitions of the employees. They validate requests, ensure that the requestors followed company guidelines, check the availability of the items with the chosen supplier, and forward the purchase order to the supplier. Upon fulfillment of the request, Senior Purchasing Agents check the deliveries, ensure that the items are complete and correct, forward the items to the requestor, and process the payment for the supplier. Senior Purchasing agents also prepare reports, spot trends in employee or department purchases, and create recommendations based on observations. They are also expected to form good working relationships with suppliers.
Contract administrator/contract specialists and senior purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Average Salary | $53,425 | $73,386 |
| Salary Range | Between $35,000 And $79,000 | Between $52,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest Paying City | Annapolis, MD | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest Paying State | Maryland | New York |
| Best Paying Company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| Best Paying Industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a contract administrator/contract specialist and a senior purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most Common Major | Business | Business |
| Most Common College | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between contract administrator/contract specialists' and senior purchasing agents' demographics:
| Contract Administrator/Contract Specialist | Senior Purchasing Agent | |
| Average Age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender Ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 57.7% Female, 42.3% |
| Race Ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.6% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |