Buyer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

10

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Data Government data groups this job as Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (O*NET-SOC 13-1022.00). O*NET figures on this page are for that occupation; BLS pay and projections are for the broader BLS occupation, labelled where shown.

1. Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers. importance 4.3 of 5
2. Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices. importance 4.3 of 5
4. Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased. importance 4.1 of 5
9. Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness. importance 4.0 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Processing Information, Working with Computers, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work and Communicating with People Outside the Organization.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.
• Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
• Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run.
• Train or supervise sales or clerical staff.
• Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise.
• Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.

Knowledge areas: Administration and Management, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing and Mathematics.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, SAP software, Purchasing software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Job title: Buyer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Buyer to buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
- Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.
- Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.
- Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.
- Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
- Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.
- Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
- Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in negotiation, critical thinking and persuasion
- Working knowledge of Administration and Management and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Buyers and purchasing agents to grow 6.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 47,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real buyer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only buyer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (negotiation and critical thinking); buyer interview questions turns them into practice questions.