Key Factors That Influence Purchasing Agent I Salaries
A Purchasing Agent I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Purchasing Agent Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Purchasing Agent I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Purchasing Agent I (0-1 years): $41,672
Procurement Clerk II (1-3 years): $46,713
Ordering and Inventory Clerk III (3-5 years): $53,626
Ordering and Inventory Clerk IV (5-7 years): $60,095
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $59,600
San Francisco: $58,947
Oakland: $57,704
San Jose, CA$59,600
San Francisco, CA$58,947
Oakland, CA$57,704
New York, NY$54,405
Paramus, NJ$53,744
Queens Village, NY$53,741
Passaic, NJ$53,696
Bergenfield, NJ$53,692
Stamford, CT$53,588
Huntington, NY$53,569
Newark, NJ$53,219
Bridgeport, CT$53,120
Vallejo, CA$53,026
New Brunswick, NJ$53,007
Petaluma, CA$52,978
Middlesex, NJ$52,889
Somerset, NJ$52,856
Santa Cruz, CA$52,794
Boston, MA$52,506
Monterey, CA$52,340
Seattle, WA$52,232
Santa Rosa, CA$52,222
Los Angeles, CA$52,208
Juneau, AK$52,085
Washington, DC$52,033
Orange, CA$51,865
Santa Ana, CA$51,740
Long Beach, CA$51,693
Anaheim, CA$51,683
Anchorage, AK$51,660
Santa Maria, CA$51,518
Everett, WA$51,509
Danbury, CT$51,342
Bremerton, WA$51,277
Tacoma, WA$51,107
New Suffolk, NY$51,106
Sacramento, CA$51,093
Santa Barbara, CA$51,041
Trenton, NJ$50,989
San Diego, CA$50,989
Brockton, MA$50,937
Fairbanks, AK$50,821
Lompoc, CA$50,700
Lowell, MA$50,662
Ventura, CA$50,653
Nashua, NH$50,644
Stockton, CA$50,639
Modesto, CA$50,294
Poughkeepsie, NY$50,190
Olympia, WA$50,100
Kennewick, WA$50,100
New Haven, CT$50,081
Lawrence, MA$49,911
Hartford, CT$49,864
Riverside, CA$49,855
New Bedford, MA$49,807
Richland, WA$49,807
Bakersfield, CA$49,741
San Bernardino, CA$49,722
New Britain, CT$49,717
Atlantic City, NJ$49,717
New London, CT$49,699
Norwich, CT$49,684
Portsmouth, NH$49,675
Boulder, CO$49,575
Portland, OR$49,510
Worcester, MA$49,505
Minneapolis, MN$49,358
Philadelphia, PA$49,292
Honolulu, HI$49,136
Saint Paul, MN$49,113
Vineland, NJ$49,103
Providence, RI$48,966
Chicago, IL$48,829
Bellingham, WA$48,772
Springfield, MA$48,734
Baltimore, MD$48,720
Chico, CA$48,602
Pittsfield, MA$48,475
Manchester, NH$48,385
Spokane, WA$48,177
Denver, CO$48,172
Albany, NY$47,950
Troy, NY$47,931
Nassau, NY$47,880
Schenectady, NY$47,832
Wilmington, DE$47,794
Burlington, VT$47,728
Salem, OR$47,709
Portland, ME$47,562
Yakima, WA$47,515
Rochester, MN$47,369
Reno, NV$47,345
Fresno, CA$47,345
Milwaukee, WI$47,302
Detroit, MI$47,255
Ann Arbor, MI$47,247
Allentown, PA$47,241
Colorado Springs, CO$47,161
Syracuse, NY$47,137
Carson City, NV$47,137
Houston, TX$47,071
Eugene, OR$47,047
Gary, IN$46,991
Springfield, OR$46,953
Bismarck, ND$46,943
Galveston, TX$46,910
Medford, OR$46,839
Fort Collins, CO$46,820
Concord, NH$46,797
Austin, TX$46,783
Mesa, AZ$46,683
Reading, PA$46,679
Phoenix, AZ$46,674
Dallas, TX$46,660
Saint Cloud, MN$46,614
Madison, WI$46,551
Utica, NY$46,423
Rochester, NY$46,348
Des Moines, IA$46,343
Raleigh, NC$46,338
Atlanta, GA$46,267
Battle Creek, MI$46,253
Salt Lake City, UT$46,239
Lancaster, PA$46,168
Harrisburg, PA$46,102
Kansas City, MO$46,055
Champaign, IL$46,045
Kansas City, KS$46,045
Fort Worth, TX$46,041
Columbus, OH$46,033
Boca Raton, FL$46,022
Pittsburgh, PA$46,003
Richmond, VA$45,984
Indianapolis, IN$45,974
Cleveland, OH$45,970
Las Vegas, NV$45,913
Cincinnati, OH$45,913
Petersburg, VA$45,842
Huntsville, AL$45,771
Lansing, MI$45,740
Lebanon, PA$45,733
Pueblo, CO$45,729
Appleton, WI$45,715
Buffalo, NY$45,696
Dayton, OH$45,681
Racine, WI$45,672
Charlotte, NC$45,667
Saint Louis, MO$45,653
York, PA$45,625
Elkhart, IN$45,625
Gastonia, NC$45,616
Billings, MT$45,604
Beaumont, TX$45,592
Lorain, OH$45,582
Benton Harbor, MI$45,573
Toledo, OH$45,563
Binghamton, NY$45,540
Rock Hill, SC$45,535
Rockford, IL$45,511
Springfield, IL$45,492
Elyria, OH$45,488
Fargo, ND$45,488
Flagstaff, AZ$45,455
Fort Lauderdale, FL$45,426
Duluth, MN$45,398
Miami, FL$45,398
Cheyenne, WY$45,365
Grand Forks, ND$45,365
Bangor, ME$45,261
Cedar Rapids, IA$45,209
Durham, NC$45,189
Louisville, KY$45,185
Grand Rapids, MI$45,176
Hialeah, FL$45,171
Casper, WY$45,105
Scranton, PA$45,048
New Orleans, LA$45,034
Virginia Beach, VA$45,029
Akron, OH$45,006
Peoria, IL$44,944
Sarasota, FL$44,935
Nashville, TN$44,902
Omaha, NE$44,902
Green Bay, WI$44,902
Baton Rouge, LA$44,878
Charleston, SC$44,869
Jamestown, NY$44,845
Davenport, IA$44,845
Tucson, AZ$44,821
Saint Petersburg, FL$44,793
Tampa, FL$44,784
Evansville, IN$44,755
Port Arthur, TX$44,755
Bradenton, FL$44,736
Santa Fe, NM$44,651
Orlando, FL$44,566
Clearwater, FL$44,552
Canton, OH$44,453
La Crosse, WI$44,453
Albuquerque, NM$44,424
Newport News, VA$44,420
High Point, NC$44,405
Ogden, UT$44,387
Corpus Christi, TX$44,349
Norfolk, VA$44,320
Laramie, WY$44,320
Rock Island, IL$44,292
Saginaw, MI$44,283
Jacksonville, FL$44,278
Salisbury, NC$44,268
Boise, ID$44,259
Moline, IL$44,235
Fort Myers, FL$44,221
Memphis, TN$44,212
Tulsa, OK$44,188
Waterloo, IA$44,160
Spartanburg, SC$44,112
Lincoln, NE$44,089
Fort Wayne, IN$44,079
Provo, UT$44,075
Cedar Falls, IA$44,018
San Antonio, TX$43,999
Greensboro, NC$43,980
South Bend, IN$43,975
Savannah, GA$43,923
Muskegon, MI$43,904
Birmingham, AL$43,900
Winston Salem, NC$43,877
Lake Charles, LA$43,763
Anderson, IN$43,753
Lexington, KY$43,739
Augusta, GA$43,725
Greenville, SC$43,725
Lima, OH$43,687
Wichita, KS$43,682
Tuscaloosa, AL$43,682
Columbia, SC$43,640
Springfield, OH$43,630
Asheville, NC$43,555
Bloomington, IN$43,522
Knoxville, TN$43,352
Shreveport, LA$43,347
Wilmington, NC$43,285
Roanoke, VA$43,285
Topeka, KS$43,200
Frankfort, KY$43,195
Oklahoma City, OK$43,163
Chillicothe, OH$43,144
Longview, TX$43,139
Melbourne, FL$43,134
Sioux Falls, SD$43,059
Mobile, AL$43,054
Terre Haute, IN$43,035
Altoona, PA$43,007
Amarillo, TX$42,973
Killeen, TX$42,959
Fayetteville, AR$42,921
Chattanooga, TN$42,907
Sioux City, IA$42,865
Idaho Falls, ID$42,855
Lynchburg, VA$42,818
Gainesville, FL$42,756
Portsmouth, OH$42,732
Little Rock, AR$42,723
Lafayette, LA$42,704
Youngstown, OH$42,704
Daytona Beach, FL$42,676
Clarksville, TN$42,671
Pensacola, FL$42,666
Temple, TX$42,663
Hopkinsville, KY$42,524
Erie, PA$42,515
Florence, SC$42,496
Charleston, WV$42,421
Great Falls, MT$42,397
Macon, GA$42,331
Tallahassee, FL$42,326
Fayetteville, NC$42,317
Waco, TX$42,307
Helena, MT$42,274
Pine Bluff, AR$42,256
Vincennes, IN$42,198
Lubbock, TX$42,180
Alamogordo, NM$42,151
Twin Falls, ID$42,109
Rapid City, SD$42,094
Jackson, MS$42,009
Huntington, WV$42,006
Greenville, MS$42,005
Parkersburg, WV$41,956
Montgomery, AL$41,948
Wichita Falls, TX$41,901
Springfield, MO$41,901
Biloxi, MS$41,877
Monroe, LA$41,830
Johnstown, PA$41,797
Sumter, SC$41,778
Columbus, GA$41,773
Pascagoula, MS$41,683
Abilene, TX$41,683
Kingsport, TN$41,560
Albany, GA$41,560
Gulfport, MS$41,546
Alexandria, LA$41,390
Fort Smith, AR$41,272
El Paso, TX$41,145
Las Cruces, NM$40,932
Harlingen, TX$40,812
Pocatello, ID$40,804
Florence, AL$40,743
Brownsville, TX$40,733
Mcallen, TX$40,634
Dothan, AL$40,568
Columbus, MS$40,287
Altus, OK$40,067
Lawton, OK$39,977
Pierre, SD$39,807
What Skills Can Increase a Purchasing Agent I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 3.39% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Logistics (Mentioned in 1.42% Job Postings): In a general business sense, logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of customers or corporations.
PowerPoint (Mentioned in 0.84% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Purchasing Agent I's salary.
Teamwork: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Process Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Purchasing Agent I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Purchasing Agent I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $46,559.
While startup companies pay approximate $39,384.
Purchasing Agent I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$39,384
Growth Stage
51~500
$41,653
Established
501~5000
$44,959
Enterprise
5000+
$46,559
Purchasing Agent I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Purchasing Agent I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Purchasing Agent positions in Retail & Wholesale or Energy & Utilities typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Purchasing Agent I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Purchasing Agent I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$52,078
$25.0
25%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$49,994
$24.0
20%
Financial Services
$47,911
$23.0
15%
Aerospace & Defense
$45,828
$22.0
10%
MFG Durable
$45,828
$22.0
10%
Purchasing Agent I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Purchasing Agent I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings.
As a Purchasing Agent I, you have the following paths for advancement.
The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles.
By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Purchasing Agent I job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right.
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