What is a procurement buyer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Procurement buyers oversee the demand for goods and services for the company. You will basically identify and procure the goods and services that an organization requires. Your duties include identifying purchasing needs, comparing the price quotations of vendors, and choosing the most cost-efficient option. You are also responsible for the receipt of goods from the suppliers, checking the deliveries and ensuring that all orders are complete and in good condition, maintaining appropriate documentation for audit and control procedures, and accurately updating purchasing records and data. The procurement buyer negotiates directly with vendors to get the best possible pricing and payment options.

As a procurement buyer, you need to have a bachelor's degree in business, management, or accounting. You should also have a deep understanding and professional experience with purchasing contracts and strong verbal and written communication skills. Plus, you should be able to collaborate with global commodity managers. Your average annual salary is $70,968.

ScoreProcurement BuyerUS Average
Salary
4.8

Avg. Salary $61,874

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity
4.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%

Asian 7.76%

Black or African American 8.98%

Hispanic or Latino 12.33%

Unknown 4.40%

White 65.75%

Gender

female 54.40%

male 45.60%

Age - 49
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49
Stress Level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.1

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Procurement Buyer career paths

Key steps to become a procurement buyer

  1. Explore procurement buyer education requirements

    Most common procurement buyer degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.6 %

    Associate

    19.3 %

    Master's

    9.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific procurement buyer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Purchase Orders18.29%
    Supplier Performance9.83%
    Logistics6.20%
    POS4.66%
    Procurement Process4.12%
  3. Complete relevant procurement buyer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New procurement buyers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a procurement buyer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real procurement buyer resumes.
  4. Research procurement buyer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead development of indirect spend category management including executing and managing RFP's.
    • Manage activities of purchasing, production planning and scheduling, inventory management, warehousing and logistics.
    • Develop a working relationship with numerous suppliers, performing excellent customer service throughout the RFI, RFP, RFQ process.
    • Monitor and adjust MRP parts policy report on a regular basis.
  5. Prepare your procurement buyer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your procurement buyer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a procurement buyer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Procurement Buyer Resume templates

    Build a professional Procurement Buyer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Procurement Buyer resume.
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
    Procurement Buyer Resume
  6. Apply for procurement buyer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a procurement buyer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Procurement Buyer Job

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Average procurement buyer salary

The average Procurement Buyer salary in the United States is $61,874 per year or $30 per hour. Procurement buyer salaries range between $43,000 and $87,000 per year.

Average Procurement Buyer Salary
$61,874 Yearly
$29.75 hourly

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How do procurement buyers rate their job?

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Procurement Buyer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Learning more on the job and gaining new skills and experience

Cons

Nothing at all


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

To be involved in negotiations

Cons

I like all in this job, because I have the choise to be in relation with a lot of persons and know what they are doing against purchasing also what the use to buy and under what coondition


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

Negotiating with suppliers, influencing others, solving problems, making a positive difference to the company's bottom line.

Cons

Constant stress, lack of respect from other departments, lack of resources, poor advancement opportunities.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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