SalariesThe pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $48,380 | $4,032 | $930 | $23.26 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $60,800 | $5,067 | $1,169 | $29.23 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $77,710 | $6,476 | $1,494 | $37.36 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $100,820 | $8,402 | $1,939 | $48.47 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $128,870 | $10,739 | $2,478 | $61.96 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Buyers and Purchasing Agents is $77,710, which is 52% higher. Among the 32 occupations of the field Business and Financial Operations, it ranks number 22 by median pay. With 491,430 jobs, it makes up about 32 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Buyers and Purchasing Agents pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($124,090), New Jersey ($93,250) and Maryland ($90,900). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($36,750), Virgin Islands ($52,480) and Montana ($62,850). The most jobs were in California (48,010), Texas (44,030) and New York (31,240). The occupation is most concentrated in Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 1.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,880 | $124,090 | $122,620 | $59.66 |
| New Jersey | 12,180 | $93,250 | $97,390 | $44.83 |
| Maryland | 8,900 | $90,900 | $97,050 | $43.70 |
| Virginia | 22,120 | $89,210 | $95,090 | $42.89 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $86,240 | $84,820 | $41.46 |
| Massachusetts | 12,820 | $85,970 | $94,180 | $41.33 |
| Washington | 15,400 | $85,130 | $92,620 | $40.93 |
| Colorado | 10,080 | $83,590 | $91,410 | $40.19 |
| Alaska | 890 | $83,460 | $91,040 | $40.13 |
| Connecticut | 5,530 | $83,030 | $89,370 | $39.92 |
| Delaware | 1,400 | $82,920 | $87,860 | $39.86 |
| California | 48,010 | $82,720 | $90,900 | $39.77 |
| Minnesota | 10,960 | $80,370 | $84,710 | $38.64 |
| New York | 31,240 | $79,460 | $87,150 | $38.20 |
| Illinois | 19,660 | $78,470 | $83,220 | $37.73 |
| Maine | 1,180 | $77,630 | $82,410 | $37.32 |
| New Hampshire | 2,580 | $77,270 | $81,820 | $37.15 |
| New Mexico | 2,250 | $76,740 | $83,950 | $36.90 |
| Ohio | 21,640 | $76,410 | $79,920 | $36.74 |
| North Dakota | 880 | $76,400 | $77,900 | $36.73 |
| Texas | 44,030 | $76,050 | $80,830 | $36.56 |
| Michigan | 16,680 | $75,900 | $80,810 | $36.49 |
| North Carolina | 14,290 | $75,880 | $82,170 | $36.48 |
| Arkansas | 4,510 | $75,870 | $86,180 | $36.48 |
| West Virginia | 1,130 | $75,670 | $77,740 | $36.38 |
| South Carolina | 6,150 | $75,550 | $81,310 | $36.32 |
| Arizona | 10,870 | $75,340 | $79,830 | $36.22 |
| Oregon | 7,090 | $75,050 | $80,140 | $36.08 |
| Nebraska | 2,850 | $74,950 | $80,290 | $36.03 |
| Utah | 4,090 | $74,540 | $78,730 | $35.84 |
| Georgia | 15,710 | $74,530 | $82,840 | $35.83 |
| Hawaii | 1,720 | $74,240 | $80,050 | $35.69 |
| Alabama | 8,960 | $74,030 | $80,360 | $35.59 |
| South Dakota | 1,180 | $73,990 | $78,690 | $35.57 |
| Pennsylvania | 17,430 | $73,550 | $78,100 | $35.36 |
| Nevada | 2,310 | $72,990 | $75,600 | $35.09 |
| Florida | 30,270 | $72,850 | $78,050 | $35.02 |
| Wyoming | 570 | $72,200 | $75,140 | $34.71 |
| Mississippi | 2,240 | $71,850 | $76,670 | $34.54 |
| Oklahoma | 4,750 | $71,850 | $77,290 | $34.54 |
| Wisconsin | 9,240 | $70,880 | $74,450 | $34.08 |
| Iowa | 4,570 | $70,360 | $74,190 | $33.83 |
| Kansas | 6,470 | $69,500 | $75,500 | $33.41 |
| Indiana | 10,720 | $69,350 | $75,080 | $33.34 |
| Idaho | 1,610 | $69,240 | $74,720 | $33.29 |
| Guam | 250 | $68,360 | $72,880 | $32.87 |
| Louisiana | 3,440 | $66,340 | $74,850 | $31.90 |
| Missouri | 8,070 | $65,650 | $73,600 | $31.56 |
| Tennessee | 11,420 | $65,430 | $71,190 | $31.46 |
| Vermont | 1,010 | $65,330 | $81,780 | $31.41 |
| Kentucky | 5,440 | $65,240 | $70,810 | $31.36 |
| Montana | 1,230 | $62,850 | $67,550 | $30.22 |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $52,480 | $65,590 | $25.23 |
| Puerto Rico | 4,390 | $36,750 | $41,570 | $17.67 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage$78,240 a year
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists$78,210 a year
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators$78,000 a year
- Loan Officers$76,690 a year
- Human Resources Specialists$75,940 a year
- Fundraisers$72,550 a year
Common questions
How much do Buyers and Purchasing Agents earn in the United States?
The median pay was $77,710 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,380 and the highest-paid 10% more than $128,870.
How many people work as Buyers and Purchasing Agents?
About 491,430 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.