Purchasing Assistant
Quick Facts
Median Salary$48,838
Most Common EducationHigh school or GED
Projected 10-Year Growth-16.39%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
A Purchasing Assistant assists buyers and staff in the purchasing or procurement department of a business or store. Assists with checking and completing purchase orders, communicates with vendors and suppliers, maintains records and provides data entry.
Core Tasks:
- Perform buying duties when necessary.
- Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
- Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
- Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
- Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
- Approve and pay bills.
- Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
- Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.
- Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
- Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
- Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.
- Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
- Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations.
- Monitor in-house inventory movement and complete inventory transfer forms for bookkeeping purposes.
- Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy.
- Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered.
What to expect as a Purchasing Assistant
1Earn a High school or GED Diploma
30% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Purchasing Assistant related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
1005 openings for Purchasing Assistants
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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