Purchasing Agents

Employment of purchasing agents and buyers is expected to grow by 7 percent through 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Employment of purchasing managers will grow by 5 percent during the same time period.

Businesses will continue to need purchasing agents to procures goods and services for their operations and for resale to customers. As the DOL describes it, "They also will be needed to oversee complex supply chains and to negotiate and manage contracts with suppliers. However, organizations will likely continue to automate some procurement tasks and may use artificial intelligence (AI), or other technology, which may limit growth." The continued use of cooperative purchasing agreements in the public sector, in which government agencies share resources to buy supplies, may also limit job growth for purchasing agents.

While the outlook is better for purchasing managers, there are fewer available positions in this category compared to purchasing agents.