# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/purchasing-agents-except-wholesale-retail-and-farm-products
- SOC code: 13-1023.00
- Career family: Business and finance
- Median annual pay: $77,710 (10th percentile $48,380, 90th percentile $128,870)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +6.0%
- Openings a year: 47,200
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Buyers and purchasing agents".

## Interest profile (code CER)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 42 |
| Investigative (I) | 14 |
| Artistic (A) | 3 |
| Social (S) | 16 |
| Enterprising (E) | 68 |
| Conventional (C) | 78 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 90/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 87/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 86/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 83/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 80/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 79/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 78/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 78/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 77/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 76/100)

## Skills

Negotiation, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Writing, Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Management of Financial Resources

## Knowledge

English Language, Law and Government, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Administrative, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Economics and Accounting, Personnel and Human Resources, Education and Training

## Also called

Buyer, Contract Administrator (Contract Admin), Contract Analyst, Contract Specialist, Contractor Buyer, Contracts Manager, Equipment, Supplies, and Tools Purchasing Agent, Fuel Agent, Fuel Buyer, General Purchasing Agent

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Business Administration, Management and Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5202) (CIP 5202, 2,372 colleges)
- [General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5218) (CIP 5218, 358 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $97,419 | $160,783 | $19,000 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $96,806 | $144,654 | $19,500 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $94,811 | $144,599 | $10,656 |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $108,743 | $136,806 | $19,250 |
| [Emory University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $87,830 | $136,731 | $15,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $88,182 | $135,874 | $9,250 |
| [Baylor University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/baylor-university-194) | General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $85,374 | $125,167 | $21,375 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $75,464 | $123,144 | $18,625 |

## Related careers

- [Procurement Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/procurement-clerks): $50,580 median pay
- [Purchasing Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/purchasing-managers): $148,080 median pay
- [Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wholesale-and-retail-buyers-except-farm-products): $77,710 median pay
- [Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/buyers-and-purchasing-agents-farm-products): $77,710 median pay
- [Logistics Analysts](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/logistics-analysts): $82,320 median pay
- [Logisticians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/logisticians): $82,320 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.