How long does it take to become a Purchasing Manager?

It takes 9 years of professional experience to become a purchasing manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific purchasing manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 12 to 14 years years to become a purchasing manager.

What degree do you need for purchasing management?

You need a bachelor's degree in business for purchasing management. Other common degrees pursued to become a purchasing manager include management, accounting, and supply chain management.

What is a purchasing manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Expert

Daniel Kruger

A purchasing manager handles an organization's procurement process, ensuring that the company obtains the necessary goods and services at the best price. They oversee the purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment, negotiating contracts with vendors. The purchasing manager evaluates supplier performance, maintains inventory, and leads the purchasing team. They work with other departments, such as finance and operations, to ensure that purchases align with the company's strategies and goals.

What general advice would you give to a Purchasing Manager?

Daniel Kruger

Academic Affairs Manager, NASPO

The procurement profession, like many industries, has undergone a shift as a result of the pandemic. NASPO is seeing states adjusting to revised bidding processes that include more eProcurement systems, and work from home is also a significant change for many state employees. New graduates will need to navigate the hiring process and onboarding potentially without a physical office or in-person collaboration with coworkers, so they need to be comfortable with technology and even a bit more extroverted early on to make those connections. This will require strong communication and interpersonal skills. Data analytics and supply chain knowledge continue to be critical, as well.

ScorePurchasing ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,118

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.1

Growth Rate -6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 7.51%

Black or African American 9.18%

Hispanic or Latino 12.47%

Unknown 3.83%

White 66.70%

Gender

female 32.96%

male 67.04%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress Level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Purchasing Manager?

Pros

High salary potential
Opportunity for career advancement
Variety of industries to work in
Exposure to global markets and trends
Direct involvement in product development

Cons

Constant need for cost reduction
Risk of making costly mistakes
Constant need to stay updated on industry trends
High level of competition in the field
Limited control over external factors such as market fluctuations

Newest jobs for Purchasing Manager in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a purchasing manager

Explore purchasing manager education requirements

Most common purchasing manager degrees

Bachelor's

66.1 %

Associate

14.3 %

Master's

12.1 %

Start to develop specific purchasing manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Supply Chain	15.14%
Strategic Sourcing	7.14%
Project Management	4.63%
Supplier Performance	4.54%
Continuous Improvement	4.38%

Complete relevant purchasing manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New purchasing managers 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 purchasing manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real purchasing manager resumes.

Research purchasing manager duties and responsibilities

Manage payroll and accounts payable.
Lead major purchasing projects for automotive OEM vehicles.
Used RFI, RFP, RFQ techniques to identify, select, and engage with suppliers to ensure competitive market advantage.
Establish an integrate MRO supply program which eliminate specific company manage buying, inventory control and warehousing functions.

Prepare your purchasing manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your purchasing manager 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 purchasing manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Purchasing Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Purchasing Manager 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 Purchasing Manager resume.

Apply for purchasing manager jobs

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

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

How do purchasing managers rate their job?

4/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Purchasing Manager reviews

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

Have a direct impact of the company bottom targets.

Cons

Works not recognized by upper management!

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Cons

work will be sometimes hectic.

Pros

its a challenging work. you need lot of potential to be materials manager.

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

I am continuously working to develop my the communication and computer skills necessary listed in the job description job description. My formal education which is bachelors degree in philosophy and a minor in economics. I am currently furthering my education in the area of computer science.

What is a purchasing manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Purchasing Manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a Purchasing Manager?

Newest jobs for Purchasing Manager in Columbus, OH

Purchasing Manager career paths

Key steps to become a purchasing manager

Explore purchasing manager education requirements

Most common purchasing manager degrees

Start to develop specific purchasing manager skills

Complete relevant purchasing manager training and internships

Research purchasing manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your purchasing manager resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Purchasing Manager Resume templates

Apply for purchasing manager jobs

How Did You Land Your First Purchasing Manager Job

Average purchasing manager salary

How do purchasing managers rate their job?

Purchasing Manager reviews

Purchasing Manager FAQs

How long does it take to become a Purchasing Manager?

What degree do you need for purchasing management?

Search for purchasing manager jobs

Purchasing Manager jobs by state