The qualifications that you need to become a purchasing associate vary from employer to employer. Most employers prefer applicants with a bachelor’s degree, but may accept applicants with a high school diploma who have previous experience. Some companies have entry-level job options that include on-the-job training. In these positions, you develop skills by working under the supervision of a purchasing manager. In this career, you often have to know how to work with inventory and bookkeeping software. Depending on your job duties, you may need to communicate with suppliers and conduct negotiations to reduce the cost of materials.

If you are interested in a job related to Purchasing Associate, here are some popular related job searches with the most open positions on ZipRecruiter.

Top Types Of Purchasing Associate Jobs

List of the top 10 highest paying Purchasing Associate positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Buyer
Salary range: $51,500 - $77,000
The duties of a buyer are to assess customer purchase trends in a retail outlet and to order and stock products specific to the store or department. In smaller retail stores, there may be only one buyer, and their responsibilities are to maintain inventory for all the items in the store. At larger stores, such as a department store or big box store, a buyer may only be responsible for stocking and ordering items in a specific department, such as sporting goods, swimwear, or children’s clothing. Buyers attempt to forecast changes in demand or anticipate different buying patterns for different times of the year.
Remote Procurement
Salary range: $48,500 - $78,000
Remote Procurement is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Remote Procurement jobs pay between $48,500 (25th percentile) and $78,000 (75th percentile) annually. There are lots of open positions nationwide for Remote Procurement job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.
Purchasing Agent
Salary range: $43,000 - $60,000
Purchasing agents buy goods and services for a company to use or resell. As a purchasing agent, you research products, pricing, and suppliers for items your company needs or wants to sell. Your job duties as a purchasing agent include attending trade shows and sales pitches, evaluating suppliers, negotiating contracts, arranging deliveries, and maintaining records of product pricing, performance, and inventory.
Procurement
Salary range: $48,500 - $78,000
Procurement is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Procurement jobs pay between $48,500 (25th percentile) and $78,000 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for Procurement job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.
Purchasing Assistant
Salary range: $38,000 - $49,000
As a purchasing assistant, you buy products for your company to sell or use in operations. Your job duties entail communicating with vendors to obtain goods at the best prices, tracking product inventory, monitoring sales trends, and placing orders on products. Purchasing assistants often play a role in choosing which products to stock. The career requires you have some formal qualifications and education, generally a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, excellent computer skills, and prior sales experience. It is necessary to develop knowledge of your specific industry, including normal sales and revenue trends.
Procurement Associate
Salary range: $39,500 - $63,500
Procurement Associate is a typical job search query Most salaries for Procurement Associate jobs pay between $39,500 (25th percentile) and $63,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Procurement Associate job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Purchasing Manager
Salary range: $65,000 - $100,000
Purchasing managers oversee the purchasing and procurement in their organization or company. Purchasing managers work for companies of all sizes and in a variety of industries. They may manage a purchasing department or work as the sole buyer or agent for their company. As a purchasing manager, your responsibilities include finding new vendors and suppliers and managing those relationships, negotiating prices, confirming the quality of the incoming product, tracking inventory, and projecting purchasing needs.
Procurement Assistant
Salary range: $40,000 - $50,500
A procurement assistant provides administrative support for the procurement department of a company. As a procurement assistant, your job duties include monitoring current inventory, ordering supplies, and scheduling deliveries to ensure that your company has a sufficient amount of necessary materials or equipment. The qualifications to become a procurement assistant are an associate degree in supply chain management or logistics and experience with sourcing and logistics software.
Remote Purchasing
Salary range: $43,000 - $60,000
Remote Purchasing is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Remote Purchasing jobs pay between $43,000 (25th percentile) and $60,000 (75th percentile) annually. There are lots of open positions nationwide for Remote Purchasing job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.
Remote Purchasing Assistant
Salary range: $38,000 - $49,000
Remote Purchasing Assistant is a typical job search query Most salaries for Remote Purchasing Assistant jobs pay between $38,000 (25th percentile) and $49,000 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for Remote Purchasing Assistant job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

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