Occupation Profile

Purchasing Managers

(SOC Code : 11-3061)

in California

Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Include wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Work experience, plus bachelor's or higher degree .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$55.25	$39.30	$52.24	$67.45

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	8,100	9,100	1,000	12.3	350

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Management of Companies and Enterprises

914

11.0%

Electronic Instrument Manufacturing

1,043

5.9%

Computers and Peripheral Equipment

509

4.6%

Semiconductor and Electronic Components

1,759

4.0%

Aerospace Product & Parts Manufacturing

281

3.7%

Scientific Research and Development Svc

5,742

3.3%

Architectural and Engineering Services

23,211

3.1%

Electronic Markets and Agents/Brokers

2,823

2.4%

Communications Equipment Manufacturing

464

2.1%

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

408

2.0%

Commercial Goods Merchant Wholesalers

7,080

2.0%

Pharmaceutical & Medicine Manufacturing

364

1.8%

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,393

1.7%

Grocery Product Merchant Wholesalers

5,559

1.7%

Electrical Equipment and Appliances

1,041

1.3%

Medical Equipment and Supplies Mfg

3,367

1.3%

Electronic Shopping & Mail-Order Houses

1,785

1.1%

Grocery Stores

16,120

1.1%

Computer Systems Design and Rel Services

9,933

1.1%

Electric Goods Merchant Wholesalers

7,773

1.0%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions & Contracts Management

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Represent companies in negotiating contracts and formulating policies with suppliers.

Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.

Interview and hire staff, and oversee staff training.

Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.

Prepare and process requisitions and purchase orders for supplies and equipment.

Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.

Maintain records of goods ordered and received.

Participate in the development of specifications for equipment, products or substitute materials.

Analyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability.

Resolve vendor or contractor grievances, and claims against suppliers.

More Tasks for Purchasing Managers

Top Skills used in this Job

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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