Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016

13-1023 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 semi-finished materials for manufacturing. Excludes "Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products" (13-1021) and "Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products" (13-1022).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
297,600 0.5 % $32.41 $67,420 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $18.56 $23.39 $30.43 $39.59 $48.93
Annual Wage (2) $38,600 $48,650 $63,300 $82,340 $101,770


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 34,650 1.71 $39.59 $82,340
Management of Companies and Enterprises 19,300 0.84 $34.55 $71,860
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 11,300 2.30 $37.88 $78,790
Local Government (OES Designation) 10,750 0.20 $30.50 $63,440
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 8,310 0.15 $26.33 $54,760

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 11,300 2.30 $37.88 $78,790
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 3,300 1.96 $36.86 $76,660
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 34,650 1.71 $39.59 $82,340
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing 1,930 1.71 $29.74 $61,860
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 6,280 1.61 $34.90 $72,590

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Pipeline Transportation 30 0.42 $43.02 $89,490
Oil and Gas Extraction 1,690 0.93 $41.07 $85,430
Natural Gas Distribution 430 0.38 $39.84 $82,860
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 60 0.33 $39.75 $82,670
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 34,650 1.71 $39.59 $82,340


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 33,720 2.11 1.00 $35.46 $73,760
Texas 27,360 2.33 1.10 $33.08 $68,800
Florida 15,820 1.92 0.91 $28.81 $59,930
New York 14,740 1.62 0.76 $33.28 $69,220
Pennsylvania 13,500 2.35 1.11 $31.24 $64,990




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 11,780 3.84 1.81 $34.19 $71,120
District of Columbia 2,630 3.74 1.76 $45.45 $94,540
Virginia 12,520 3.33 1.57 $36.76 $76,460
Alabama 6,240 3.26 1.54 $31.56 $65,640
Michigan 11,710 2.78 1.31 $33.44 $69,550




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 2,630 3.74 1.76 $45.45 $94,540
New Jersey 8,540 2.16 1.02 $37.92 $78,870
Maryland 6,850 2.59 1.22 $37.70 $78,420
Virginia 12,520 3.33 1.57 $36.76 $76,460
Massachusetts 6,060 1.75 0.83 $35.55 $73,940





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 11,380 1.73 0.81 $36.03 $74,950
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 9,150 3.12 1.47 $35.93 $74,730
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 9,070 3.64 1.72 $42.85 $89,120
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 8,550 2.03 0.96 $34.76 $72,300
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 8,140 5.12 2.42 $36.28 $75,470
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 5,830 2.40 1.13 $33.86 $70,430
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 5,570 1.53 0.72 $31.91 $66,380
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 5,150 2.02 0.95 $31.47 $65,460
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,800 2.51 1.18 $31.89 $66,340
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division 4,460 3.70 1.74 $38.06 $79,170




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California-Lexington Park, MD 530 12.11 5.71 $40.89 $85,060
Huntsville, AL 2,210 10.13 4.78 $38.15 $79,360
Warner Robins, GA 470 6.83 3.22 $37.18 $77,330
Dayton, OH 1,960 5.27 2.49 $36.75 $76,430
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 8,140 5.12 2.42 $36.28 $75,470
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 620 4.91 2.32 $26.90 $55,950
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 260 4.30 2.03 $39.50 $82,150
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 4,400 4.21 1.99 $39.48 $82,130
Springfield, OH 200 4.10 1.93 $23.97 $49,860
Wichita, KS 1,160 3.90 1.84 $31.86 $66,260




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 9,070 3.64 1.72 $42.85 $89,120
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 1,940 1.81 0.86 $41.95 $87,260
California-Lexington Park, MD 530 12.11 5.71 $40.89 $85,060
Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division 1,900 3.26 1.54 $40.66 $84,570
Midland, TX 190 2.24 1.06 $40.03 $83,260
Corvallis, OR 80 2.37 1.12 $39.89 $82,970
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 260 4.30 2.03 $39.50 $82,150
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 4,400 4.21 1.99 $39.48 $82,130
Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 2,820 2.44 1.15 $39.03 $81,180
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 130 1.18 0.56 $38.84 $80,800

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 750 2.95 1.39 $30.70 $63,850
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 630 1.89 0.89 $28.20 $58,650
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 620 2.89 1.37 $23.22 $48,290
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 570 3.92 1.85 $27.22 $56,610
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 550 1.98 0.93 $26.20 $54,490

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 140 8.94 4.22 $39.92 $83,030
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 570 3.92 1.85 $27.22 $56,610
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 3.21 1.51 $44.34 $92,220
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 750 2.95 1.39 $30.70 $63,850
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 100 2.94 1.39 $32.06 $66,690

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 3.21 1.51 $44.34 $92,220
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 140 8.94 4.22 $39.92 $83,030
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 130 1.75 0.83 $34.93 $72,650
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.45 0.69 $34.44 $71,640
North Nevada nonmetropolitan area 50 1.27 0.60 $34.23 $71,200


About May 2016 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017