Buyers and Purchasing Agents Salary in Seattle, WA (2024)
Buyers and Purchasing Agents in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median of $85,980 per year ($41.34 per hour) based on 10,580 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +13.7% against the national median of $75,650 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where buyers and purchasing agents actually sit across the pay range in Seattle, WA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28.30 | $58,870 | |
| 25th percentile | $33.43 | $69,530 | |
| Median | $41.34 | $85,980 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $52.86 | $109,950 | |
| 90th percentile | $66.65 | $138,630 | |
| Average (mean) | $45.46 | $94,560 |
How Seattle, WA compares
The local median of $85,980 runs +13.7% above the US median of $75,650 for this occupation; it pays 27.4% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($67,510); within the metro it ranks 243rd of 687 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA — this occupation | $85,980 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $75,650 | +13.7% |
| Seattle, WA — all occupations | $67,510 | +27.4% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $103,560 | -17.0% |
At a location quotient of 1.61, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 161% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.5%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 243rd of 687 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle, WA
To put $85,980 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 243rd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237,310 | 410 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $232,120 | 2,070 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $214,220 | 400 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208,810 | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208,230 | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201,780 | 40 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $192,970 | 140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,640 | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | 9,460 |
Where buyers and purchasing agents earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $68,230 to $103,560. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $103,560 | 13,590 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $93,320 | 6,160 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $85,980 | 10,580 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $84,680 | 10,450 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $83,960 | 29,510 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $83,570 | 9,490 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $83,130 | 4,520 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $82,490 | 9,250 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $81,710 | 6,930 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $81,630 | 4,700 |
See the full national picture on the Buyers and Purchasing Agents salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for buyers and purchasing agents in Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $85,980, or $41 per hour. That means half of the buyers and purchasing agents working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $94,560.
What do the highest and lowest paid buyers and purchasing agents in Seattle, WA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $58,870 or less, while the top 10% earn $138,630 or more — a spread of $79,760 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $69,530 and $109,950.
Is buyers and purchasing agents pay in Seattle, WA above the local average?
Yes, it is 27.4% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $67,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Seattle, WA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $85,980 the metro median is 13.7% higher than the US median of $75,650 for buyers and purchasing agents. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $68,230 to $103,560.
How many buyers and purchasing agents work in Seattle, WA?
BLS counts about 10,580 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 5.08 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.61, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 161% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.