Purchasing Agent
| Median wage (USD) | 77710 |
|---|---|
| Projected employment growth (%) | 6 |
| AI exposure (%) | 37 |
| Maximum exposure (%) | 58 |
| Source | eloundou |
| What AI changes in this occupation | Purchase orders, bid solicitations, supplier research and record keeping are automated Price monitoring, offer analysis and first-draft contracts are AI-assisted Negotiation, supplier selection and relationship management remain the core of the job |
| Key skills | Procurement negotiation · supplier evaluation · cost analysis |
| Courses to get ahead | Supply Chain Analytics (Rutgers) · Coursera · 4 sem. · 86 · You turn purchasing data (costs, suppliers, trends) into dashboards and decisions: AI compiles, you steer. Supply Chain Logistics (Rutgers) · Coursera · 4 sem. · 81 · Shipment and inventory tracking go digital: you keep control of flows, deadlines and corrective actions. Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills (Michigan) · Coursera · 4 sem. · 89 · AI prepares the RFP file and the comparisons: your negotiation is what secures price, lead times and terms. Supply Chain Management (Rutgers specialization) · Coursera · 3-6 mois · 78 Excel & Purchasing Data Analysis · Coursera · 4 sem. · 79 GenAI for Procurement and Supply Chain · Coursera · 2 sem. · 76 |
| Occupations to pivot toward | Logistician · 82320 · 18 · 45 Purchasing Manager · 148080 · 4 · 47 Wholesale Sales Representative · 72080 · -1 · 71 |
| Skills to acquire for the pivot | Exposure stays limited (37%) for an office job: purchase orders, supplier research, record keeping and monitoring can be delegated to AI, but negotiation, supplier selection and cost analysis remain human. BLS growth is +6% from 2025 to 2035 (faster than average), with about 53,600 openings a year for the whole group of purchasing managers, buyers and purchasing agents: BLS frames automation and AI as efficiency gains for procurement, not as job destruction. The median salary ($77,710, May 2025) covers the combined 'buyers and purchasing agents' group (SOC 13-1022 + 13-1023): BLS no longer publishes a separate profile for 13-1023 — specialization (categories, technical buying, industry) and data skills set advisory apart from plain execution. |
| GPT-4 exposure — beta / zeta (%) | 47 · 89 |