Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 5/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Purchasing Agents (excl.):
58.2%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
High
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Most data sources align, with only minor variation. This is a well-supported result.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forPurchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
$75,650 median salary•52,200 annual openings•SOC Code: 13-1023.00
Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 5 sources.
Purchasing agents are holding up well because the heart of this job — negotiating with suppliers, solving delivery problems, and building relationships — still requires real human judgment that AI can't replicate. AI is definitely changing the day-to-day work, handling repetitive tasks like scanning catalogs and drafting purchase orders so buyers can focus on the trickier, higher-stakes decisions.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is mostly resilient
Purchasing agents are holding up well because the heart of this job — negotiating with suppliers, solving delivery problems, and building relationships — still requires real human judgment that AI can't replicate. AI is definitely changing the day-to-day work, handling repetitive tasks like scanning catalogs and drafting purchase orders so buyers can focus on the trickier, higher-stakes decisions.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Purchasing Agents (excl.)
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Purchasing Agents (excl.) jobs?
If you're worried that AI is coming for procurement jobs, the truth is more nuanced — AI is mostly changing how buyers work, not replacing them outright. McKinsey reports that agentic AI is shifting procurement's focus from transaction tasks to a strategic driver of growth, sustainability, and resilience [1], with companies increasingly deploying AI agents to automate repetitive procurement tasks, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work [2]. That means the highly automatable parts of the job — scanning catalogs, drafting purchase orders, and reviewing requisitions — are exactly what tools are tackling first.
The Institute for Supply Management notes that generative AI tools operate on an entirely different model than older ERP platforms, and two specialists with identical AI access can get dramatically different results depending on their approach [3] — so prompting skill matters. Supply & Demand Chain Executive similarly highlights that agentic reasoning, multimodality and AI agents are the advancements that will redefine how procurement operates [4]. Tasks needing human judgment — resolving delivery problems, negotiating freight, and writing technical specs — remain firmly human.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Purchasing Agents (excl.)?
Adoption is moving quickly but unevenly. The Hackett Group's 2026 research finds AI moving rapidly from pilot to performance, helping teams manage rising workloads and reimagine the procurement operating model for an agentic future [5], and the Federal Reserve is now formally monitoring AI adoption in the U.S. economy [6] because it's spreading so fast. Commercial tools from Oracle, SAP, and Ivalua are widely available, and the economic case is strong: routine spend analysis and supplier outreach are cheap to automate.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects employment for purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, with AI potentially limiting — but not erasing — growth [7]. Slower adoption factors include data-quality issues, supplier-relationship trust, and the fact that improving efficiency is the No. 1 strategic priority for 2026, followed by faster, better decision-making [8] — meaning companies want AI to assist skilled buyers, not replace the people who handle exceptions and negotiate with humans. Building tech fluency now is your best edge.
Sources
Will AI replace Purchasing Agents (excl.)?
No. We don't think AI will replace Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products, though we do expect the job to change.
Our 58.2% AI Resilience Score reflects a role that is holding up well, even as AI takes on more of the routine work. Tools from major vendors are already automating catalog scanning, purchase order drafting, and spend analysis, and companies are moving fast from pilot programs to full deployment [5]. The parts of the job that AI handles first are also the parts most buyers find least interesting.
What stays human is the harder, higher-stakes work: resolving supplier disputes, negotiating freight terms, writing technical specs, and managing relationships built on trust. Two buyers with identical AI tools can get very different results depending on how they use them [3], which means your judgment and prompting skill matter more than ever. Improving efficiency and enabling faster, better decisions are the top priorities for procurement teams right now [8], and companies want skilled people to lead that effort, not disappear from it.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this field to grow 5% through 2034, with AI limiting but not erasing that growth [7]. Build your tech fluency now, and this career has real staying power.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Purchasing Agents (excl.)
These articles provide valuable insights for aspiring Purchasing Agents by highlighting the transformative impact of AI on procurement processes. For instance, the "Buyer’s Guide" discusses how AI tools can enhance decision-making by monitoring crop health, which is crucial for sourcing agricultural products. Furthermore, the article on procurement job roles indicates a significant risk of AI reducing traditional purchasing roles, but also emphasizes opportunities for those who adapt. Embracing AI can lead to improved efficiency and better supplier relationships, allowing future agents to thrive in a changing landscape.
10 Procurement Job Roles Most Impacted by AI (2025 to ...
suplari.com • 5/20/2026
Apr 20, 2026 — Purchasing Agents (Except Retail/Farm) - 70% (High) estimated chance of role being reduced by AI. Purchasing agents who buy raw materials ... Read more
How B2B Procurement is Going to Change with AI Agents
medium.com • 5/20/2026
As AI agents take over the running of businesses, the nature of procurement will change drastically. Vendors that are used to interacting with ... Read more
Anthropic Economic Index: Understanding AI's effects on the economy
www.anthropic.com • 3/24/2026
The Anthropic Economic Index reveals the shape of AI adoption across the world. Here, you can explore the data behind our research to...
Opinion | How AI is impacting 700 professions — and might impact yours
www.washingtonpost.com • 7/28/2025
Companies are rushing to embrace artificial intelligence to cut costs, increase efficiency and better understand this new technology.
Buyer’s Guide: How ‘agri-AI’ technology is changing farming
www.thegrocer.co.uk • 4/1/2025
The latest 'agri-AI' tools can monitor animal welfare and crop health. But how much of a difference does the tech make, and how does it help buyers?
More Career Info
Career: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
They buy products and services for companies, making sure they get the best quality and prices to meet the company's needs.
Parent Careers
Similar Careers
Employment & Wage Data
* Data estimated from parent occupation
Median Wage
$75,650
Jobs (2024)
522,200
Growth (2024-34)
+5.8%
Annual Openings
52,200
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
2
Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges.
3
Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.
4
Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
5
Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
6
Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments.
7
Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
