Career profile for Procurement Specialist

What does a Procurement Specialist do?

Procurement Specialists compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.

What kind of tasks does a Procurement Specialist perform regularly?

Procurement Specialists are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Perform buying duties when necessary.
Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
Compare suppliers' bills with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy.
Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.
Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.
Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations.
Locate suppliers, using sources such as catalogs and the internet, and interview them to gather information about products to be ordered.
Train and supervise subordinates and other staff.

The above responsibilities are specific to Procurement Specialists. More generally, Procurement Specialists are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Working with Computers		Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Processing Information		Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Performing Administrative Activities		Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Working with Computers

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Processing Information

Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Performing Administrative Activities

Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

What is a Procurement Specialist salary?

The median salary for a Procurement Specialist is $44,740, and the average salary is $45,400. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Procurement Specialist salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Procurement Specialists earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Procurement Specialists earn less than $30,540 per year, 25% earn less than $36,660, 75% earn less than $52,950, and 90% earn less than $61,880.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Procurement Specialists is expected to change by -5.1%, and there should be roughly 5,200 open positions for Procurement Specialists every year.

Median annual salary: $44,740
Typical salary range: $30,540 - $61,880
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -5.1%

What personality traits are common among Procurement Specialists?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Procurement Specialist are usually higher in their Conventional and Enterprising interests.

Procurement Specialists typically have very strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Also, Procurement Specialists typically have moderate Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Procurement Specialist tend to value Relationships, Independence, and Support.

Most importantly, Procurement Specialists moderately value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Procurement Specialists moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Procurement Specialists moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Procurement Specialists must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Procurement Specialists, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Adaptability/Flexibility		Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Independence		Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Adaptability/Flexibility

Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Independence

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

What education and training do Procurement Specialists need?

Procurement Specialists often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Procurement Specialists usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Procurement Specialists

1.9% did not complete high school or secondary school
17.8% completed high school or secondary school
26.1% completed some college coursework
12.0% earned a Associate's degree
31.5% earned a Bachelor's degree
9.5% earned a Master's degree
1.2% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Procurement Specialists

Procurement Specialists may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as administrative, customer and personal service, or administration and management knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Procurement Specialists might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Important Abilities needed by Procurement Specialists

Procurement Specialists must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Procurement Specialists need abilities such as written comprehension, oral comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Procurement Specialists, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering		The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Critical Skills needed by Procurement Specialists

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Procurement Specialists frequently use skills like reading comprehension, speaking, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Procurement Specialists, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing		Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Procurement Specialist

Procurement Specialist

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