Purchasing Manager Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of purchasing managers to grow 4.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 3,500 more jobs), with about 6,400 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $148,080 a year ranks 40th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.0%
- Openings a year
- 6,400
- Median pay
- $148,080
- Pay rank
- 40th of 825
Is employment of purchasing managers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of purchasing managers to rise 4.0% (about 3,500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +6.2% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 37 management occupations with a projection. That change ranks 299th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 88,300 |
| Employment, 2035 | 91,800 |
| Projected change | +4.0% |
| Openings a year | 6,400 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 88,300 jobs here differ from the 84,320 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 6,400 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 339th most of 830 occupations. About 95% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 350 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for purchasing managers rank?
The median of $148,080 a year ranks 40th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | +6.1% | 18,300 | $107,230 |
| Sales Managers | +4.5% | 47,300 | $148,270 |
| Marketing Managers | +6.9% | 34,000 | $166,790 |
| General and Operations Managers | +5.0% | 285,000 | $105,770 |
| Industrial Production Managers | +2.6% | 17,000 | $126,060 |
| Administrative Services Managers | +5.2% | 22,000 | $114,130 |
| Procurement Clerks | -8.1% | 3,700 | $50,580 |
| Logisticians | +17.6% | 26,600 | $82,320 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.