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The national median salary for Purchasing Managers is $148,075 per year ($71.19/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $115,544 and $182,270 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $223,288 per year. There are approximately 84,320 purchasing managers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.1%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
6K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
84K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
17K
$167,870
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
6K
$161,470
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
3K
$163,780
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
Wage range across top 5 industries: $126,130 to $167,870 (33% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$44.47
$92,498
P25
$55.55
$115,544
P50MEDIAN
$71.19
$148,075
P75
$87.63
$182,270
P90
$107.35
$223,288
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average purchasing managers salary?
The national median salary for Purchasing Managers is $148,075 per year ($71.19/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $115,544 and $182,270 annually.
How much do top-earning purchasing managers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Purchasing Managers is $223,288 per year ($107.35/hr). The 75th percentile is $182,270 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for purchasing managers?
Entry-level Purchasing Managers (10th percentile) earn approximately $92,498 per year ($44.47/hr). The 25th percentile is $115,544 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.