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Have you ever thought about how a person becomes a purchasing manager or buyer for a company? These are the people who get to choose what products a business will sell. Sounds like fun to me – buying all kinds of products with the company’s money. Of course, there is a lot more to it than that – you have to really know what you’re doing and know what products to buy.

Purchasing agents have a lot of responsibility to make sure the products they buy are the highest quality for the least expensive price. They have to know a lot about their target audience so they know what is most likely to sell. There are many intricate details that a person in this position must understand to be successful.

Education and Training Requirements

Educational requirements vary with the size of the company involved. Larger companies usually require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree in business. Manufacturing companies may prefer applicants with a master’s degree in a relevant area such as engineering or economics, depending on the type of business it is.

No matter what type of degree you hold, most companies require a period of training to provide time to familiarize yourself with the company’s specific needs and products. In the wholesale/retail industry, a trainee might begin in sales and with experience advance into more buying-related positions.

Job Outlook and Salary Range According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment of purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents is expected to increase 7 percent through the year 2018. Job growth and opportunities, however, will differ among different occupations in this category.

Median annual wages of wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products, were $48,710 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $36,460 and $66,090. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,710, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $90,100.

Check out the directory of business degrees and other online degrees available from colleges and universities from around the country at Accredited-Online-Colleges.com.