SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 11-3061.
The 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 | $92,490 | $7,708 | $1,779 | $44.47 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $115,550 | $9,629 | $2,222 | $55.55 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $148,080 | $12,340 | $2,848 | $71.19 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $182,270 | $15,189 | $3,505 | $87.63 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $223,280 | $18,607 | $4,294 | $107.35 |
* 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 Purchasing Managers is $148,080, which is 190% higher. Among the 37 occupations of the field Management, it ranks number 10 by median pay. With 84,320 jobs, it makes up about 5.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Purchasing Managers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($175,720), New Jersey ($174,520) and Colorado ($171,250). The lowest was in Guam ($80,290), Puerto Rico ($89,600) and Louisiana ($109,630). The most jobs were in Texas (9,640), California (7,470) and New York (6,930). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 2.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,110 | $175,720 | $175,130 | $84.48 |
| New Jersey | 3,430 | $174,520 | $186,350 | $83.90 |
| Colorado | 1,320 | $171,250 | $183,310 | $82.33 |
| Massachusetts | 2,160 | $170,750 | $179,070 | $82.09 |
| New York | 6,930 | $166,300 | $177,260 | $79.95 |
| Virginia | 3,540 | $166,230 | $170,830 | $79.92 |
| New Hampshire | 540 | $162,900 | $165,550 | $78.32 |
| Washington | 1,770 | $162,730 | $167,790 | $78.24 |
| Maryland | 2,380 | $161,470 | $157,990 | $77.63 |
| Kansas | 920 | $159,850 | $163,580 | $76.85 |
| California | 7,470 | $159,830 | $165,780 | $76.84 |
| Arkansas | 930 | $156,450 | $159,840 | $75.22 |
| Georgia | 3,430 | $155,360 | $163,270 | $74.69 |
| Illinois | 4,160 | $153,370 | $161,930 | $73.74 |
| West Virginia | 180 | $147,220 | $147,100 | $70.78 |
| Minnesota | 1,340 | $144,810 | $152,010 | $69.62 |
| Michigan | 2,780 | $142,120 | $153,680 | $68.33 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,530 | $141,790 | $146,520 | $68.17 |
| Arizona | 1,630 | $138,940 | $150,180 | $66.80 |
| North Carolina | 2,670 | $138,710 | $151,090 | $66.69 |
| Connecticut | 1,420 | $138,680 | $154,900 | $66.68 |
| Oregon | 980 | $137,190 | $146,090 | $65.96 |
| Tennessee | 1,460 | $137,060 | $153,620 | $65.89 |
| Idaho | 270 | $136,970 | $145,250 | $65.85 |
| Maine | 170 | $135,970 | $139,990 | $65.37 |
| Vermont | 90 | $135,720 | $141,750 | $65.25 |
| New Mexico | 240 | $134,790 | $138,720 | $64.80 |
| Texas | 9,640 | $134,670 | $145,520 | $64.75 |
| Ohio | 3,490 | $134,580 | $147,350 | $64.70 |
| Rhode Island | 220 | $134,560 | $144,730 | $64.69 |
| Florida | 3,960 | $133,410 | $141,140 | $64.14 |
| Missouri | 960 | $132,100 | $136,330 | $63.51 |
| South Carolina | 830 | $131,720 | $138,410 | $63.33 |
| Alabama | 1,520 | $130,710 | $132,260 | $62.84 |
| North Dakota | 50 | $130,110 | $138,010 | $62.55 |
| South Dakota | 70 | $128,670 | $135,990 | $61.86 |
| Indiana | 1,190 | $126,880 | $135,080 | $61.00 |
| Utah | 510 | $125,940 | $130,820 | $60.55 |
| Wisconsin | 1,610 | $124,990 | $134,870 | $60.09 |
| Kentucky | 920 | $124,350 | $127,000 | $59.78 |
| Nebraska | 440 | $124,010 | $129,590 | $59.62 |
| Montana | 160 | $123,480 | $134,420 | $59.36 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $123,380 | $128,990 | $59.32 |
| Mississippi | 320 | $122,940 | $122,820 | $59.11 |
| Iowa | 610 | $121,580 | $130,130 | $58.45 |
| Nevada | 450 | $120,270 | $129,210 | $57.82 |
| Oklahoma | 480 | $119,310 | $124,030 | $57.36 |
| Alaska | 140 | $114,650 | $116,560 | $55.12 |
| Hawaii | 220 | $113,490 | $124,000 | $54.56 |
| Louisiana | 470 | $109,630 | $122,110 | $52.71 |
| Puerto Rico | 280 | $89,600 | $99,500 | $43.08 |
| Guam | 40 | $80,290 | $98,660 | $38.60 |
| Delaware | 150 | not published | not published | not published |
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
- Human Resources Managers$149,280 a year
- Compensation and Benefits Managers$149,230 a year
- Sales Managers$148,270 a year
- Public Relations Managers$146,910 a year
- Managers, All Other$141,900 a year
- Advertising and Promotions Managers$133,660 a year
Common questions
How much do Purchasing Managers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $148,080 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $92,490 and the highest-paid 10% more than $223,280.
How many people work as Purchasing Managers?
About 84,320 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.