The job of a purchasing manager at a company is to oversee the process of purchasing goods and supplies for that company’s operations. Typically, the purchasing manager would be in charge of a set of purchasing agents who’re handling the actual deals, and is responsible for their management as employees, as well as the management of the purchasing department as a whole. Purchasing managers rarely work in teams and are usually employed on a single basis, except in some extreme exceptions of companies with large purchasing departments.
Becoming a purchasing manager doesn’t strictly require a degree in management, though a candidate can definitely benefit from having one. In most cases, companies would be looking for candidates with a sufficient level of experience in the purchasing department of the same company, in order to ensure that the candidate would be familiar with the company’s operations and provide good service, improving that company’s purchasing operations.
The average annual salary of a purchasing manager varies quite a lot. In some companies, it can be lower than the market average, while in some others it can actually be higher – and it mostly depends on the employer. The job can be very rewarding in the right circumstances, and with an annual salary of between $48,000 – $90,000, it can be one of the most attractive choices related to management. On the other hand, some of the unattractive factors related to the job (such as the long working hours) can easily take away some of its luster.