Buyers and purchasing agents salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,380 | $23.26 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $77,710 | $37.36 |
| Mean (average) | $83,770 | $40.27 |
| 90th percentile | $128,870 | $61.96 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Buyers and purchasing agents pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $74,030 | $45,190 | $127,620 | 8,960 | 1.34 |
| Alaska | $83,460 | $60,860 | $132,730 | 890 | 0.87 |
| Arizona | $75,340 | $49,790 | $117,900 | 10,870 | 1.06 |
| Arkansas | $75,870 | $42,710 | $135,830 | 4,510 | 1.09 |
| California | $82,720 | $52,690 | $134,310 | 48,010 | 0.83 |
| Colorado | $83,590 | $54,990 | $135,470 | 10,080 | 1.11 |
| Connecticut | $83,030 | $51,790 | $132,410 | 5,530 | 1.03 |
| Delaware | $82,920 | $57,530 | $128,040 | 1,400 | 0.91 |
| District of Columbia | $124,090 | $69,910 | $182,310 | 1,880 | 0.85 |
| Florida | $72,850 | $45,970 | $122,930 | 30,270 | 0.96 |
| Georgia | $74,530 | $48,070 | $129,000 | 15,710 | 1.02 |
| Guam | $68,360 | $36,210 | $115,920 | 250 | 1.2 |
| Hawaii | $74,240 | $47,920 | $120,270 | 1,720 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | $69,240 | $47,830 | $108,890 | 1,610 | 0.6 |
| Illinois | $78,470 | $50,710 | $126,640 | 19,660 | 1.02 |
| Indiana | $69,350 | $45,810 | $108,740 | 10,720 | 1.06 |
| Iowa | $70,360 | $46,850 | $106,910 | 4,570 | 0.93 |
| Kansas | $69,500 | $46,150 | $117,810 | 6,470 | 1.42 |
| Kentucky | $65,240 | $42,600 | $105,370 | 5,440 | 0.86 |
| Louisiana | $66,340 | $45,080 | $112,380 | 3,440 | 0.56 |
| Maine | $77,630 | $49,620 | $126,250 | 1,180 | 0.58 |
| Maryland | $90,900 | $56,310 | $148,700 | 8,900 | 1.02 |
| Massachusetts | $85,970 | $49,500 | $145,890 | 12,820 | 1.12 |
| Michigan | $75,900 | $47,260 | $126,330 | 16,680 | 1.2 |
| Minnesota | $80,370 | $52,680 | $125,590 | 10,960 | 1.18 |
| Mississippi | $71,850 | $43,370 | $117,960 | 2,240 | 0.61 |
| Missouri | $65,650 | $45,280 | $111,070 | 8,070 | 0.87 |
| Montana | $62,850 | $41,690 | $100,420 | 1,230 | 0.76 |
| Nebraska | $74,950 | $47,840 | $124,180 | 2,850 | 0.88 |
| Nevada | $72,990 | $50,120 | $104,730 | 2,310 | 0.47 |
| New Hampshire | $77,270 | $52,840 | $125,500 | 2,580 | 1.19 |
| New Jersey | $93,250 | $62,400 | $140,730 | 12,180 | 0.9 |
| New Mexico | $76,740 | $47,670 | $127,820 | 2,250 | 0.82 |
| New York | $79,460 | $51,820 | $132,080 | 31,240 | 1.02 |
| North Carolina | $75,880 | $48,440 | $127,860 | 14,290 | 0.92 |
| North Dakota | $76,400 | $52,630 | $106,070 | 880 | 0.65 |
| Ohio | $76,410 | $47,560 | $120,950 | 21,640 | 1.23 |
| Oklahoma | $71,850 | $45,510 | $118,140 | 4,750 | 0.88 |
| Oregon | $75,050 | $44,440 | $124,900 | 7,090 | 1.14 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,550 | $44,470 | $121,520 | 17,430 | 0.91 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,750 | $21,840 | $74,300 | 4,390 | 1.48 |
| Rhode Island | $86,240 | $52,000 | $121,760 | ||
| South Carolina | $75,550 | $45,700 | $123,340 | 6,150 | 0.84 |
| South Dakota | $73,990 | $56,330 | $105,110 | 1,180 | 0.81 |
| Tennessee | $65,430 | $40,360 | $106,190 | 11,420 | 1.1 |
| Texas | $76,050 | $47,760 | $124,140 | 44,030 | 0.99 |
| Utah | $74,540 | $46,850 | $121,120 | 4,090 | 0.75 |
| Vermont | $65,330 | $45,230 | $166,520 | 1,010 | 1.05 |
| Virgin Islands | $52,480 | $36,390 | $122,260 | 50 | 0.54 |
| Virginia | $89,210 | $51,350 | $149,150 | 22,120 | 1.7 |
| Washington | $85,130 | $58,260 | $137,980 | 15,400 | 1.37 |
| West Virginia | $75,670 | $46,000 | $112,400 | 1,130 | 0.51 |
| Wisconsin | $70,880 | $47,530 | $102,720 | 9,240 | 0.99 |
| Wyoming | $72,200 | $46,340 | $109,650 | 570 | 0.64 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for buyers and purchasing agents
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 47,200. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 3.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for buyers and purchasing agents
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Data unavailable No academic program is mapped to this occupation in the official crosswalk. Entry is usually through work experience, training, or apprenticeship.
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
BLS groups this occupation differently from O*NET. Skills and tasks below come from the closest O*NET occupation, Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (13-1022.00).
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
- Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.
- Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.
- Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.
- Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
- Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.
- Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
- Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- SAP software (in demand)
- Purchasing software (in demand)
- Eclipse IDE (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle Database (hot technology)
- Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Negotiation, Persuasion, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Bakery Buyer, Buyer, Deli Buyer, Frozen Food Buyer, Gourmet Food Buyer, Grocery Buyer, Purchaser, Retail Buyer, Wine Buyer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do buyers and purchasing agents make?
The national median annual wage for buyers and purchasing agents was $77,710 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $48,380 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $128,870. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do buyers and purchasing agents need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is buyers and purchasing agents a growing career?
BLS projects employment of buyers and purchasing agents to change +6.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 47,200 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay buyers and purchasing agents the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($124,090), New Jersey ($93,250), Maryland ($90,900). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.