Purchasing
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Purchasing occupation series (code 1105), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 2,225 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Purchasing ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Business and Industry Group family, and headcount declined 10.1% from the prior period. Its average salary of $59,039 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 2,225
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $59,039
- Avg tenure
- 13.1 yrs
FedScope read on Purchasing (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 2,225 people in the Purchasing occupation (OPM code 1105), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -10.1% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Purchasing is $59,039 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 13.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Business and Industry Group family (code 11) groups Purchasing together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Purchasing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Business and Industry Group family.
Purchasing makes up 2.6% of the 83,993 employees across the Business and Industry Group family, ranking #7 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (4th percentile) of pay among Business and Industry Group occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Purchasing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$59,039
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-49.7%
Where Purchasing ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $59,039 is higher than 13% of federal occupation series (73 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Purchasing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Purchasing ranks higher than 13%.
Related Occupations in Business and Industry Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracting | 30,323 | $132,449 | 14.4 yrs |
| General Business and Industry | 25,675 | $123,489 | 14.9 yrs |
| Production Control | 5,015 | $99,508 | 14.6 yrs |
| Loan Specialist | 3,952 | $95,452 | 12.7 yrs |
| Realty | 3,282 | $112,506 | 15.3 yrs |
| Grants Management | 3,042 | $129,704 | 14.5 yrs |
| Internal Revenue Officer | 2,183 | n/a | 14.7 yrs |
| Housing Management | 1,724 | $91,096 | 12.5 yrs |
| Commissary Management | 1,174 | n/a | 19.2 yrs |
| Building Management | 986 | $122,043 | 16.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Purchasing outside the Business and Industry Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (2,225 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($59,039 here).
Key takeaways
- Purchasing pays below the federal average by 49.7% ($59,039 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 13th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,225 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 10.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Purchasing ranks #145 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Purchasing makes up 2.6% of the 83,993 employees across the Business and Industry Group family, ranking #7 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.