How To Become A Purchasing Manager
Leads procurement: sets purchasing policy, chooses and negotiates with suppliers, and manages the buyers who place the orders.
Purchasing Manager Salary Data
Purchasing Manager Salary: What BLS Data Shows
Purchasing managers earn a median of $148,080 a year, the highest of the supply chain occupations on this site, on a small base of 84,320 jobs (May 2025).
By the Supply Chain Degree Programs editorial team Updated
The Pay Figures At A Glance
- The median is $148,080. That is for purchasing managers; the average is $156,360.
- The 10th to 90th percentiles run $92,490 to $223,280. Hourly, the median works out to $71.19.
- District of Columbia pays the highest state median, $175,720. Louisiana pays the lowest, $109,630.
- The best-paying industry has a median of $178,630. The best-paying metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, at $198,980.
- Projected change through 2035: 4%. Annual openings: about 6,400.
How Much Does A Purchasing Manager Make?
Half of all purchasing managers earn more than $148,080 a year and half earn less. The average, $156,360, sits above the median, and the full range runs from $92,490 at the 10th percentile to $223,280 at the 90th. On an hourly basis the median works out to $71.19.
The middle half of the occupation earns between $115,550 and $182,270, a gap of $66,720. The sections below show how far location, industry and employer type each move the number.
| Percentile | Annual Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | $92,490 |
| 25th | $115,550 |
| Median | $148,080 |
| 75th | $182,270 |
| 90th | $223,280 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, purchasing managers, national. Purchasing managers include procurement and sourcing managers. Read 2026-09-23.
Procurement Manager And Purchasing Manager Are One BLS Figure
Purchasing managers cover most of the titles for running a buying function. O*NET's sample includes category purchasing manager, commodity manager, materials director, materials manager, procurement director and procurement manager. So a procurement manager salary and a purchasing manager salary are the same BLS number.
The people who do the buying under them are a different occupation. Buyers and purchasing agents earn a median of $77,710, so the step from buyer to purchasing manager is worth $70,370 at the median, and it is a step into a far smaller pool of jobs.
Purchasing Manager Salary By State
14 of the 50 states in the table pay a median above the national $148,080. District of Columbia has the highest median, $175,720, on 1,110 jobs. Among states with at least 5,000 jobs in the occupation, New York leads at $166,300. The lowest state median is $109,630, in Louisiana, so the top and bottom states sit $66,090 apart.
The biggest markets are Texas, with 9,640 jobs and a median of $134,670, and California, with 7,470 jobs at $159,830. BLS withholds the wage estimate for one state in this occupation, so the table has 50 rows.
| State | Median | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $175,720 | $147,220 | $195,190 | 1,110 |
| New Jersey | $174,520 | $117,660 | $285,280 | 3,430 |
| Colorado | $171,250 | $122,790 | $247,610 | 1,320 |
| Massachusetts | $170,750 | $105,500 | $266,990 | 2,160 |
| New York | $166,300 | $102,800 | $282,360 | 6,930 |
| Virginia | $166,230 | $109,270 | $222,230 | 3,540 |
| New Hampshire | $162,900 | $104,010 | $214,710 | 540 |
| Washington | $162,730 | $112,120 | $220,350 | 1,770 |
| Maryland | $161,470 | $102,900 | $199,950 | 2,380 |
| Kansas | $159,850 | $101,890 | $221,670 | 920 |
| California | $159,830 | $99,560 | $241,340 | 7,470 |
| Arkansas | $156,450 | $74,290 | $273,100 | 930 |
| Georgia | $155,360 | $91,560 | $250,120 | 3,430 |
| Illinois | $153,370 | $100,990 | $225,450 | 4,160 |
| West Virginia | $147,220 | $89,080 | $194,410 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $144,810 | $95,200 | $216,480 | 1,340 |
| Michigan | $142,120 | $96,530 | $214,780 | 2,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $141,790 | $84,480 | $213,390 | 2,530 |
| Arizona | $138,940 | $97,810 | $211,510 | 1,630 |
| North Carolina | $138,710 | $94,240 | $219,150 | 2,670 |
| Connecticut | $138,680 | $99,440 | $218,460 | 1,420 |
| Oregon | $137,190 | $92,560 | $213,110 | 980 |
| Tennessee | $137,060 | $90,340 | $228,230 | 1,460 |
| Idaho | $136,970 | $79,790 | $207,010 | 270 |
| Maine | $135,970 | $88,400 | $189,970 | 170 |
| Vermont | $135,720 | $94,240 | $179,360 | 90 |
| New Mexico | $134,790 | $94,710 | $192,480 | 240 |
| Texas | $134,670 | $86,340 | $212,340 | 9,640 |
| Ohio | $134,580 | $93,780 | $216,800 | 3,490 |
| Rhode Island | $134,560 | $98,410 | $206,980 | 220 |
| Florida | $133,410 | $76,460 | $211,410 | 3,960 |
| Missouri | $132,100 | $80,080 | $205,880 | 960 |
| South Carolina | $131,720 | $83,210 | $201,790 | 830 |
| Alabama | $130,710 | $77,990 | $188,140 | 1,520 |
| North Dakota | $130,110 | $85,770 | $191,620 | 50 |
| South Dakota | $128,670 | $95,100 | $187,190 | 70 |
| Indiana | $126,880 | $80,270 | $192,260 | 1,190 |
| Utah | $125,940 | $83,620 | $186,710 | 510 |
| Wisconsin | $124,990 | $81,510 | $201,990 | 1,610 |
| Kentucky | $124,350 | $76,770 | $174,690 | 920 |
| Nebraska | $124,010 | $77,690 | $183,930 | 440 |
| Montana | $123,480 | $78,800 | $186,280 | 160 |
| Wyoming | $123,380 | $87,530 | $170,820 | 40 |
| Mississippi | $122,940 | $68,690 | $174,820 | 320 |
| Iowa | $121,580 | $81,500 | $197,010 | 610 |
| Nevada | $120,270 | $76,680 | $184,850 | 450 |
| Oklahoma | $119,310 | $78,560 | $173,930 | 480 |
| Alaska | $114,650 | $80,420 | $160,650 | 140 |
| Hawaii | $113,490 | $82,200 | $173,310 | 220 |
| Louisiana | $109,630 | $77,870 | $179,000 | 470 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, by state, sorted by median. Read 2026-09-23.
Purchasing Manager Salary By Metro Area
BLS publishes a median for purchasing managers in 219 metropolitan areas, and 37 of them have at least 500 jobs in the occupation, enough for the median to describe a real local market. Among those, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the most, at $198,980, followed by Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO at $180,000.
| Metro Area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $198,980 | 700 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $180,000 | 980 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $174,640 | 1,940 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $172,150 | 4,180 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $171,810 | 7,370 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,440 | 1,320 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $165,910 | 2,590 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $165,430 | 1,260 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $163,660 | 1,490 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $161,910 | 690 |
The largest markets are a different list. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has the most jobs, 7,370, at a median of $171,810, and the five biggest metros together hold 21,000 jobs, 25% of the occupation. The metros where the occupation is most concentrated relative to the local workforce are Huntsville, AL (location quotient 3.60), Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY (location quotient 2.61) and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (location quotient 2.46).
Treat the metro figures as nominal pay. OEWS wages are not adjusted for local living costs, so a high median in an expensive metro and a lower one in a cheaper metro can leave a worker with similar purchasing power. Housing and other costs vary enough between metros that the ranking above is a ranking of paychecks, not of standards of living.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan area estimates. Ranked only among metros with at least 500 jobs in the occupation. A location quotient compares the occupation's share of local jobs with its share of jobs nationally. Read 2026-09-24.
Top-Paying Industries For Purchasing Managers
BLS publishes the occupation's pay in 164 industries. Among those employing at least 1,000 purchasing managers, the highest median is in scientific research and development services, at $178,630, which is $30,550 above the national figure.
| Industry | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $178,630 | 2,090 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $167,870 | 16,750 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $164,660 | 1,020 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $163,780 | 2,540 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $162,890 | 1,250 |
| Office Administrative Services | $161,880 | 1,200 |
Where The Jobs Are, And Where The Pay Is
The six top-paying industries above employ 24,850 purchasing managers between them, 29% of the occupation. The five largest employers hold 30,310, or 36%. 2 industries are on both lists: management of companies and enterprises, aerospace product and parts manufacturing.
| Largest Employers | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 16,750 | $167,870 |
| Federal Executive Branch | 6,240 | $161,470 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 2,540 | $163,780 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals | 2,510 | $126,130 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 2,270 | $131,660 |
The single largest employer, management of companies and enterprises, pays a median of $167,870. It is also one of the top-paying industries, $10,760 below the highest, so for this occupation the biggest employer and good pay coincide.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific estimates, by industry. Each figure is the median for purchasing managers working in that industry. Top-paying industries are ranked only among those with at least 1,000 jobs in the occupation. Read 2026-09-23.
What Moves Purchasing Manager Pay
Purchasing managers handle the most complex procurement and manage the buyers who do the rest, so pay tracks how much an organization buys and how complicated it is. Government, manufacturing and corporate management offices all employ them in large numbers.
Employer Type
Purchasing managers at private employers earn a median of $148,710, and private employers hold 85% of the occupation's jobs. Among government employers, the federal government pays the highest median, $161,470, which is $12,760 above private pay.
| Employer | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | $148,710 | 72,000 |
| Federal government | $161,470 | 6,300 |
| State government | $107,350 | 2,560 |
| Local government | $124,320 | 3,460 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national ownership estimates. State and local government include their schools and hospitals, and the federal row includes the Postal Service, as BLS defines them.
Location
The top and bottom states sit $66,090 apart at the median. Among metros with at least 500 jobs, the gap between the highest and lowest median is $92,540, wider than the state gap. Neither figure is adjusted for living costs.
Degree Level
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education for purchasing managers, with 5 years or more of related work experience. That is an entry requirement, not a pay effect: the wage survey measures occupations, not degrees. For what a degree costs, see the rankings of bachelor’s in supply chain management, MBA in supply chain management and master’s in supply chain management.
Certification
The certifications that fit this work, and what each one requires, are covered in the purchasing manager career guide.
How Purchasing Manager Pay Compares With Other Supply Chain Jobs
A supply chain degree leads to more than one occupation, and they don't pay the same. Of the 9 BLS occupations below, purchasing managers have the highest median. The next highest is industrial production managers, at $126,060.
| Occupation | Median | 10th To 90th | Typical Entry | Growth 2025-35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | $92,490 to $223,280 | Bachelor's degreeplus 5 years or more experience | 4% |
| Industrial Production Managers | $126,060 | $78,000 to $205,520 | Bachelor's degreeplus 5 years or more experience | 2.6% |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | $65,120 to $194,900 | High school diploma or equivalentplus 5 years or more experience | 6.1% |
| Operations Research Analysts | $88,940 | $57,060 to $159,910 | Bachelor's degree | 11.9% |
| Logisticians | $82,320 | $50,890 to $133,160 | Bachelor's degree | 17.6% |
| Compliance Officers | $80,730 | $48,220 to $133,720 | Bachelor's degree | 3.8% |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | $77,710 | $48,380 to $128,870 | Bachelor's degree | 6% |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $59,650 | $40,080 to $86,000 | High school diploma or equivalent | -1.3% |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | $52,260 | $38,340 to $79,810 | High school diploma or equivalent | 6.2% |
The spread follows seniority more than subject. The 3 highest medians belong to the 3 management occupations, and BLS says each of them typically needs 5 years or more of related work experience to enter. The other 6 are specialist occupations that BLS lists with no experience requirement at entry. The management jobs are also the ones the specialists move into: buyers become purchasing managers, and logisticians become supply chain managers, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Sources: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (pay); BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 (growth); EP Table 1.2 (typical entry education and experience).
Job Outlook For Purchasing Managers
BLS projects employment of purchasing managers to grow from 88,300 to 91,800 over 2025 to 2035, a change of 4%. That's about the same as the 3.5% projected for all occupations.
Growth is the smaller part of the hiring. BLS expects about 6,400 openings a year, and it splits them three ways: people leaving the labor force, mostly to retire; people moving into a different occupation; and new jobs from growth.
| Source Of Openings, Per Year | Openings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Workers leaving the labor force | 2,100 | 33% |
| Workers moving to other occupations | 4,000 | 63% |
| New jobs from growth | 300 | 5% |
| Total openings | 6,400 | 100% |
Replacement demand dominates: 95% of openings come from people leaving the occupation, not from new positions. Transfers outnumber retirements, so more of the openings come from purchasing managers moving on to other jobs than from people leaving work. Each year BLS expects 6.7% of the occupation to leave it, against 9.7% across all occupations. About 3.5% of workers in the occupation are self-employed, which is why EP's employment count runs higher than OEWS's.
What Drives Demand
The Handbook expects purchasing managers to keep being needed to oversee complex supply chains and negotiate and manage supplier contracts, while organizations automate some procurement tasks and add AI to make procurement more efficient.
Sources: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35; EP tables 1.10 (separations and openings) and 1.12 (factors affecting occupational utilization). The growth row is total openings minus separations. Read 2026-09-23.
Does A Supply Chain Degree Raise Your Salary?
BLS reports what an occupation pays, not what a degree pays, so there's no federal figure for "purchasing manager salary with a master's." Use the numbers above as the pay for the job you're aiming at. A degree matters to the extent that it gets you hired into the occupation, or promoted within it.
Cost is the part of a degree you can pin down. These rankings list tuition read from each school’s own page, so you can set a real price against the salary range here: bachelor’s in supply chain management, MBA in supply chain management and master’s in supply chain management.
FAQ
How Much Does A Purchasing Manager Make?
The median is $148,080 a year for purchasing managers, the BLS occupation behind this page (May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $115,550 and $182,270.
What Is The Hourly Pay For Purchasing Managers?
The median hourly wage for purchasing managers is $71.19 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How Much Do The Top-Paid Purchasing Managers Make?
The 90th percentile for purchasing managers is $223,280 a year, so one in ten earns more than that. The 75th percentile is $182,270.
Which State Pays Purchasing Managers The Most?
District of Columbia has the highest state median, $175,720, on 1,110 jobs. Among states with at least 5,000 jobs in the occupation, New York is highest at $166,300.
Which City Pays Purchasing Managers The Most?
Among metro areas with at least 500 jobs in the occupation, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest median, $198,980. The figure is not adjusted for living costs.
Which Industry Pays Purchasing Managers The Most?
Among industries employing at least 1,000 purchasing managers, scientific research and development services pays the highest median, $178,630.
Do Government Purchasing Managers Earn More Than Private-Sector Ones?
Purchasing managers in the federal government earn a median of $161,470, against $148,710 at private employers (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Federal pay is higher at the median, but 85% of the occupation works for private employers.
Is The Purchasing Manager Job Market Growing?
BLS projects employment of purchasing managers to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 6,400 openings a year.
How Much Does A Procurement Manager Make?
The same as a purchasing manager in BLS data: O*NET lists procurement manager as a title within purchasing managers, whose median is $148,080 (May 2025).
Keep Reading
Bachelor’s In Supply Chain Management, Ranked
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
MBA In Supply Chain Management, Ranked
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
All Supply Chain Salaries
The 9 BLS occupations behind supply chain work, side by side.
Sources
- 1 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Purchasing Managers (SOC 11-3061), national and state profile Read .
- 2 BLS OEWS, May 2025: metropolitan area estimates Read .
- 3 BLS OEWS, May 2025: national industry-specific and ownership estimates Read .
- 4 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics home
- 5 BLS Employment Projections, National Employment Matrix, 2025-35 Read .
- 6 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35 Read .
- 7 O*NET OnLine, 11-3061.00 Purchasing Managers Read .