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Business & Finance

Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.

Median salary (BLS)

$77,710

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$48k – $129k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,500–$153,000

Time to qualify

4.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

    Entry / Junior

    $48,380

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

    Established

    $77,710

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

    Senior

    $103,290

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
  • •Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
  • •Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.
  • •Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
  • •Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Business & Finance

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.