Purchasing

What the Numbers Say About Purchasing

Federal agencies employ 2,984 people in the Purchasing occupation (OPM code 1105), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -4.0% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Purchasing is $61,088 per year, placing it 44.4% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.4% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 10.9 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, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Purchasing makes up 2.6% of the 115,651 employees across the Business and Industry Group family, ranking #8 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (8th percentile) of pay among Business and Industry Group occupations.