How to become a Purchasing Officer
Prepares purchase orders, monitors supply sources, and assists in maintaining relationships with suppliers.
Main tasks
- Investigates and identifies supply sources, and prepares and processes purchase orders
- Consults with suppliers, invites tenders and reviews quotations
- Maintains inventories, accurate records and supplier information
- Purchases equipment and materials, business services, and land or access rights
- Receives and checks purchase requests against inventory records and stock on hand
Ways in
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 39 universities in Australia
- TAFE and VET: Advanced Diploma of Procurement and Contracting (PSP60616); Certificate IV in Supply Chain Operations (TLI40324); Graduate Certificate in Strategic Procurement (PSP80116); Certificate II in Supply Chain Operations (TLI20421); Certificate IV in Procurement and Contracting (PSP40616); Diploma of Procurement and Contracting (PSP50616); Certificate III in Retail (SIR30216)
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $80,756 a year
- About 117,500 people work in this job group now, and about 130,800 are projected by 2035. (+11.3%)
- Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Purchasing Officer?
Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Advanced Diploma of Procurement and Contracting; Certificate IV in Supply Chain Operations.
How much does a Purchasing Officer earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $80,756 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Purchasing Officer a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 117,500 to about 130,800 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Purchasing Officer?
Not always. 31% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Advanced Diploma of Procurement and Contracting; Certificate IV in Supply Chain Operations.
Will AI change the work of a Purchasing Officer?
Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04