Purchasing Managers
Management · SOC 11-3061
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 11-3061 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 20.0%
- High · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 51/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $148,080
- H-1B offered wage $147,900; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 6,400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 281
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 11,394 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~58.6% of this role but only ~20% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products, and services. Includes wholesale or retail trade merchandising managers and procurement managers.
Common titles: Category Purchasing Manager, Commodity Manager, Materials Director, Materials Manager, Procurement Director, Procurement Manager
Representative Tasks
- •Develop and implement purchasing and contract management instructions, policies, and procedures.
- •Locate vendors of materials, equipment or supplies, and interview them to determine product availability and terms of sales.
- •Prepare bid awards requiring board approval.
- •Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in buying, selling, and distributing materials, equipment, machinery, and supplies.
- •Review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to company policy.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Develop operating strategies, plans, or procedures.
- •Develop organizational policies or programs.
- •Implement organizational process or policy changes.
- •Interview employees, customers, or others to collect information.
- •Coordinate with external parties to exchange information.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 20.0% | 13.2% |
| Outlook | Average | 40% Bright |
| Median Salary | $148,080 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 80/100 | N/A |