# Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

> Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 13-1023.00
- **Summary:** Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.

## Aliases

- Buyer
- Procurement Official
- Procurement Specialist
- Purchasing Agent
- Contract Administrator (Contract Admin)
- Procurement and Contracting Administrator (Procurement and Contracting Admin)
- Procurement and Contracting Buyer
- Purchasing Administrator (Purchasing Admin)
- Purchasing and Contracts Coordinator
- Contract Analyst
- Contract Specialist
- Contractor Buyer

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations. | Core | 4.A.2.a.4.i |
| Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts. | Core | 4.A.4.c.3.e |
| Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. | Core | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services. | Core | 4.A.2.b.4.a |
| Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased. | Core | 4.A.3.b.2.a |
| Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices. | Core | 4.A.2.a.4.k |
| Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.g |
| Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters. | Core | 4.A.4.b.3.d |
| Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives. | Core | 4.A.4.a.7.b |
| Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes. | Core | 4.A.1.a.2.b |
| Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies. | Core | 4.A.4.c.3.g |
| Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action. | Core | 4.A.4.a.2.e |

## Emerging Tasks


## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Purchase products or services. | 4.A.4.c.3.e |
| Execute sales or other financial transactions. | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Obtain information about goods or services. | 4.A.1.a.1.g |
| Analyze business or financial data. | 4.A.2.a.4.k |
| Evaluate applicable laws and regulations to determine impact on organizational activities. | 4.A.2.a.4.i |
| Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers. | 4.A.4.a.7.b |
| Monitor inventories of products or materials. | 4.A.4.c.3.g |
| Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations. | 4.A.4.a.2.e |
| Monitor organizational processes. | 4.A.1.a.2.b |
| Maintain data in information systems or databases. | 4.A.3.b.6.h |
| Conduct eligibility or selection interviews. | 4.A.4.c.2.a |
| Pay charges, fees, or taxes. | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Train personnel to enhance job skills. | 4.A.4.b.3.d |
| Supervise employees. | 4.A.4.b.4.a |
| Develop technical specifications for systems or equipment. | 4.A.3.b.2.a |
| Estimate demand for products or services. | 4.A.2.a.4.b |
| Analyze market conditions or trends. | 4.A.2.a.4.b |
| Establish organizational guidelines or policies. | 4.A.2.b.4.a |
| Develop business relationships. | 4.A.4.a.4.a |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| English Language | knowledge | 4.56 |
| Law and Government | knowledge | 4.26 |
| Negotiation | transferable_skill | 4.25 |
| Customer and Personal Service | knowledge | 4.22 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 4.12 |
| Written Comprehension | ability | 4.12 |
| Administration and Management | knowledge | 4.05 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 4 |
| Writing | essential_skill | 4 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | transferable_skill | 4 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 4 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 4 |
| Written Expression | ability | 4 |
| Inductive Reasoning | ability | 4 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Active Learning | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | ability | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 3.75 |
| Persuasion | transferable_skill | 3.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | transferable_skill | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 3.75 |
| Administrative | knowledge | 3.63 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 3.62 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 3.62 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 3.5 |
| Category Flexibility | ability | 3.38 |
| Mathematics | knowledge | 3.37 |
| Computers and Electronics | knowledge | 3.32 |
| Economics and Accounting | knowledge | 3.26 |
| Social Perceptiveness | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Instructing | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Time Management | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Management of Material Resources | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Number Facility | ability | 3.25 |
| Service Orientation | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | ability | 3.12 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Word | Common Skill |
| Microsoft SharePoint | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Outlook | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Visio | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Project | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Access | Specialized Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Google Docs | Specialized Skill |
| Adobe Acrobat | Specialized Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Dynamics | Specialized Skill |
| MicroStrategy | Specialized Skill |
| IBM Notes | Specialized Skill |
| Google Ads | Specialized Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Database Software | Specialized Skill |
| Database Reporting Software | Specialized Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft SharePoint | Document management software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | yes | yes |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | yes | yes |
| Adobe Acrobat | Document management software | yes | no |
| Google Docs | Word processing software | yes | no |
| Intuit QuickBooks | Accounting software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Access | Data base user interface and query software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Project | Project management software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Visio | Process mapping and design software | yes | no |
| Oracle Database | Data base user interface and query software | yes | no |
| Oracle PeopleSoft | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | yes | no |
| Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management | Project management software | yes | no |
| Apple AppleWorks | Spreadsheet software | no | no |
| Assured Software JPP | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Choice Job Cost | Accounting software | no | no |
| Construction Management Software ProEst | Analytical or scientific software | no | no |
| Corel QuattroPro | Spreadsheet software | no | no |
| Cost accounting software | Accounting software | no | no |
| Cost estimating software | Financial analysis software | no | no |
| CPR International GeneralCOST Estimator | Accounting software | no | no |
| CPR Visual Estimator | Financial analysis software | no | no |
| Database reporting software | Data base reporting software | no | no |
| Database software | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Dexter + Cheney Spectrum Construction Software | Project management software | no | no |
| FileMaker Pro | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Galorath SEER-SEM | Project management software | no | no |
| Google Ads | Sales and marketing software | no | no |
| IBM Cognos Impromptu | Business intelligence and data analysis software | no | no |
| IBM Costimater | Financial analysis software | no | no |
| IBM Lotus 1-2-3 | Spreadsheet software | no | no |
| IBM Notes | Electronic mail software | no | no |
| IBM Power Systems software | Enterprise system management software | no | no |
| Infor ERP SyteLine | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | no | no |
| Inventory management systems | Inventory management software | no | no |
| Microsoft Dynamics | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | no | no |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| E-Mail | 5 |
| Telephone Conversations | 4.95 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 4.79 |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 4.53 |
| Contact With Others | 4.53 |
| Spend Time Sitting | 4.45 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.4 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.32 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 4.3 |
| Time Pressure | 4.3 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 4.15 |
| Written Letters and Memos | 4.11 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 4.05 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 4.05 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 4.05 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 4.05 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 3.89 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.28 |
| Level of Competition | 3.21 |
| Public Speaking | 3 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 3 |
| Conflict Situations | 2.9 |
| Degree of Automation | 2.89 |
| Consequence of Error | 2.74 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 2.68 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 2.55 |
| Physical Proximity | 2.42 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 2.21 |
| Spend Time Standing | 2.11 |
| In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment | 2.05 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 2 |
| Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled | 1.85 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions | 1.79 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 1.79 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | 1.74 |
| Outdoors, Under Cover | 1.65 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 1.63 |
| Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People | 1.5 |
| Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions | 1.45 |
| Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions | 1.41 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 4
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- **Experience:** A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- **Svp Range:** (7.0 to < 8.0)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Bachelor's Degree | 65 |
| High School Diploma | 15 |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10 |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 10 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 5.65 |
| Enterprising | career_interest_type | 5.09 |
| Management/Administration | specific_interest_area | 4.61 |
| Dependability | work_style | 4 |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 3.5 |
| Business Initiatives | specific_interest_area | 3.14 |
| Accounting | specific_interest_area | 3.07 |
| Attention to Detail | work_style | 3 |
| Finance | specific_interest_area | 2.74 |
| Office Work | specific_interest_area | 2.67 |
| Law | specific_interest_area | 2.57 |
| Sales | specific_interest_area | 2.52 |
| Integrity | work_style | 2.28 |
| Self-Confidence | work_style | 2.01 |
| Public Speaking | specific_interest_area | 1.96 |
| Social | career_interest_type | 1.93 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 43-3061.00 | role-43-3061-00 | Procurement Clerks | Primary-Short |
| 11-3061.00 | role-11-3061-00 | Purchasing Managers | Primary-Short |
| 13-1022.00 | role-13-1022-00 | Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products | Primary-Short |
| 13-1021.00 | role-13-1021-00 | Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products | Primary-Short |
| 13-1081.02 | role-13-1081-02 | Logistics Analysts | Primary-Short |
| 13-1081.00 | role-13-1081-00 | Logisticians | Primary-Long |
| 41-3031.00 | role-41-3031-00 | Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | Primary-Long |
| 11-3071.04 | role-11-3071-04 | Supply Chain Managers | Primary-Long |
| 11-2022.00 | role-11-2022-00 | Sales Managers | Primary-Long |
| 13-1051.00 | role-13-1051-00 | Cost Estimators | Primary-Long |
| 41-3091.00 | role-41-3091-00 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | Supplemental |
| 11-3071.00 | role-11-3071-00 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters


## Study Programs

| Title | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | business-management-marketing-and-related-support-services |

## Market


## Industries


### Top


### Concentrated


## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.77 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | 1.509181 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | 1.057618 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | 1.495701 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 88
- **Percentile:** 93
- **Band:** High
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 100 | felten_aioe |
| 77 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
- **Component Count:** 2

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | 1.509181 | 100 | High | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0.894736842105263 | 77 | High | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.77
- **Percentile:** 62
- **Band:** Moderate
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** yes

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0.05263157894736842
- **Beta:** 0.47368421052631576
- **Gamma:** 0.894736842105263

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets. | 0.009140993143228065 | 3.68 |
| Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. | 0.008627454202597275 | 4.4 |
| Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices. | 0.008524746414471117 | 4.2 |
| Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased. | 0.003286649220037057 | 4.25 |
| Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services. | 0.0026704024912801087 | 3.45 |
| Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives. | 0.0023622791269016347 | 4.05 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Ai Playbook

- **Trusted Task Count:** 4
- **Task Count:** 6
- **Total Sample:** 349
- **Autonomy Median:** 3
- **Dominant Collaboration:** directive
- **Automation Share:** 50.17
- **Augmentation Share:** 30.04
- **Work Use Percent:** 48.46

### Collaboration

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| directive | 50.17 |
| learning | 15.02 |
| task iteration | 15.02 |

### Use Case

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| work | 48.46 |
| personal | 47.1 |

### Delegated Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Collaboration | Autonomy Median | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets. | 0.016902112764095513 | directive | 3 | 169 |
| Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. | 0.004600575071883986 | task iteration | 3 | 46 |
| Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives. | 0.004200525065633205 | directive | 3 | 42 |
| Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations. | 0.003600450056257032 | directive | 1 | 36 |

### Boundary Tasks

| Task | Human Needed Percent | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives. | 100 | 42 |
| Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations. | 100 | 36 |
| Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. | 95.65217391304348 | 46 |
| Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets. | 95.26627218934911 | 169 |

### Seed Prompts

| Prompt | Collaboration |
| --- | --- |
| Do this for me: monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets. Give me a finished draft I can review and adjust. | directive |
| Let's work through this together, step by step: prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. I'll give feedback as we go. | task iteration |
| Do this for me: negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives. Give me a finished draft I can review and adjust. | directive |
| Do this for me: monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations. Give me a finished draft I can review and adjust. | directive |
- **Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 19
- **Skills:** 52
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 56
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 638539fe470f0e9e