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 57.6% AI Resilience Score reflects a role that is shifting, not disappearing. AI is already handling the routine end of purchasing: drafting purchase orders, extracting contract clauses, analyzing spend data, and following up with suppliers . More than 70% of procurement teams have adopted generative AI, with early gains in cycle time and productivity . That part of the job is genuinely automating, and people entering this field should expect it. What stays human is the core of what makes a good purchasing agent: negotiating with suppliers, building long-term vendor relationships, exercising ethical judgment on sourcing decisions, and thinking strategically when something goes wrong in the supply chain. Those skills are hard to replicate, and employers still need them. The job market backs this up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 53,600 openings per year . Procurement workloads are actually rising while headcount stays flat , which means people who can work alongside AI tools will be more valuable, not less. Learn the tools, keep the judgment.

How is AI changing Purchasing Agents (excl.) jobs?

Right now, AI is more often helping purchasing agents than replacing them — a pattern experts call "augmentation." At the Institute for Supply Management's ISM World 2026 conference , procurement executives from American Airlines, Toray Industries, and The Mosaic Company said they are launching small AI-agent pilots to review supplier bids and automate routine workflows, but that this is meant to take "grunt work" off buyers' plates rather than replace them. Common uses today, according to a 2026 industry review by Art of Procurement , include spend analytics, contract clause extraction, semi-automated sourcing, intake tools that turn a plain-English request like "I need a laptop" into a proper purchase order, and even AI negotiation bots for standard contract terms. The Hackett Group's 2026 Procurement Agenda, reported by Supply Chain 24/7 , found that more than 70% of procurement teams have adopted generative AI and more than half have deployed agentic AI, with early gains in cycle time and productivity. Meanwhile, SupplyChainBrain reports that 2026 is being called "the year of AI agents" for autonomous procurement tasks like PO creation and supplier follow-ups. So the record-keeping, catalog research, and PO-drafting tasks (rated 72–82% automatable in your list) are exactly what AI is starting to handle, while negotiation, supervision, and networking remain human-led.

How fast is AI adoption growing for Purchasing Agents (excl.)?

Adoption is moving quickly for a few reasons — but not as fast as the hype suggests. On the "faster" side, purchasing tools are already sold with AI features built in, and there's a real business need: Supply Chain 24/7 notes procurement workloads are projected to rise 8% in 2026 while headcount drops 0.9% , pushing teams to lean on AI to close the gap. On the "slower" side, procurement leaders at ISM World 2026 warned against heavy AI spending , urging small pilots and clear business cases first. Data quality is another brake — Art of Procurement cites Gartner research showing 74% of procurement leaders say their data isn't AI-ready , and only about 4% of pilots reach meaningful deployment. That's why the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects 6% employment growth for purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents from 2025 to 2035 — faster than average — with about 53,600 openings per year. The takeaway: if you're considering this career, the routine parts of the job will keep getting automated, but the human skills that matter most — negotiation, supplier relationships, ethical judgment, and strategic thinking at trade shows and boardrooms — are exactly what employers still need people to do.

Mostly Resilient

Last Update: 10/7/2026

AI Resilience Score for Purchasing Agents (excl.):

57.6%

Median Score

Meaningful human contribution

Med

Long-term employer demand

High

Sustained economic opportunity

Med

Our confidence in this score:

Medium-high

AI Resilience Report forPurchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

$77,710 median salary•47,200 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 6 sources.

Purchasing agents are labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI is taking over the routine, repetitive parts of the job (like drafting purchase orders, researching catalogs, and sorting through supplier bids), the most important parts of the work still need a real person. Negotiating deals, building trust with suppliers, making ethical calls, and thinking strategically about what a company actually needs are skills that AI simply cannot replicate well right now.

Learn more about how you can thrive in this position

This role is mostly resilient

Read full analysis

Analysis of current AI resilience

Purchasing Agents (excl.)

Updated quarterly

Your move

How can Purchasing Agents (excl.) prepare for AI?

Get hands-on with the specific AI tools reshaping procurement today.

The analysis highlights tools like spend analytics platforms, contract clause extraction software, and AI-powered intake tools that turn plain-English requests (like "I need a laptop") into proper purchase orders. Start exploring these by taking free or low-cost courses on platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning that cover procurement software, and look for simulations or demos from companies that sell these tools. Knowing how to work alongside AI agents that handle PO creation and supplier follow-ups will make you far more valuable than someone who has never touched these systems.

Practice negotiation and relationship-building skills, because those are exactly what AI cannot replace.

The analysis specifically calls out negotiation, supplier relationships, and networking at trade shows and boardrooms as the human skills employers still need most. Join your school's debate team, mock trial, or any club where you practice persuasion and compromise, and look for part-time or volunteer roles where you interact with vendors or coordinate purchases, even at a small scale.

Learn to spot and fix bad data, since poor data quality is one of the biggest brakes on AI adoption in this field.

Gartner research cited in the analysis found that 74% of procurement leaders say their data is not AI-ready, and only about 4% of AI pilots reach meaningful deployment. Take a beginner course in spreadsheet skills or data cleaning (Google Sheets and Excel are great starting points), so you understand how to organize supplier information and spending records in ways that actually make AI tools useful rather than unreliable.

Follow real procurement industry conversations to stay current on where AI agents are being piloted.

The analysis references sources like the Institute for Supply Management's ISM World conference, Art of Procurement, and Supply Chain 24/7, where executives from companies like American Airlines and Toray Industries are openly discussing their AI experiments. Bookmark and read these publications regularly, and consider joining student chapters of supply chain organizations like ISM to hear directly from professionals navigating these changes.

Build a mindset around evaluating AI pilots critically, not just accepting them.

The analysis notes that procurement leaders at ISM World 2026 warned against heavy AI spending and urged small pilots with clear business cases first. Practice this kind of thinking now by studying case studies of technology projects that succeeded or failed in business classes, and ask yourself questions like "what problem does this solve?" and "how would we measure if it worked?" This strategic, skeptical thinking is exactly the judgment that will keep purchasing agents essential even as AI handles more routine tasks.

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Latest AI news for Purchasing Agents (excl.)

These articles highlight the significant impact of AI on purchasing agents, particularly those not involved in wholesale, retail, or farm products. For instance, one article estimates a 70% chance of role reduction by 2026, while another suggests that 45% of tasks could be automated by 2029. However, embracing AI can enhance agility and risk management in procurement processes. By understanding these trends, students can develop resilience in their careers, adapting to new technologies and positioning themselves as valuable assets in an evolving job market.

10 Procurement Job Roles Most Impacted by AI (2026 to ...

suplari.com • 9/20/2026

Jul 28, 2026 — Purchasing Agents (Except Retail/Farm) - 70% (High) estimated chance of role being reduced by AI. Purchasing agents who buy raw materials, MRO ...

AI Impact on Purchasing Agents: Timeline & Vulnerability

myjobvsai.com • 9/20/2026

AI will automate 45% of purchasing agent tasks by 2029. Discover early impacts for clerks, mid-wave for agents, and survival strategies.

Will AI replace Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail ...

retrainmap.com • 9/20/2026

Aug 15, 2026 — AI exposure, BLS outlook, and priced retraining routes for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products — every figure ...

Do Wholesalers Discriminate Against AI in Procurement ...

www.emorybusiness.com • 9/20/2026

Mar 10, 2021 — “We found that when there is just automation, suppliers give a significantly higher quote to the AI bots than they do to human agents,” says ...

How AI Agents Are Reshaping Procurement

www.ivalua.com • 9/20/2026

Aug 3, 2026 — AI agents play a vital role in mitigating risks, enhancing agility, and accelerating key procurement activities to ensure business continuity. Read more

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.

SOC Code:

13-1023.00•Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Parent Careers

Major Group:Business and Financial Operations Occupations

Minor Group:Business Operations Specialists

Broad Group:Buyers and Purchasing Agents

Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products

Employment & Wage Data

* Data estimated from parent occupation

Median Wage

$77,710

Jobs (2025)

516,100

Growth (2025-35)

+6.0%

Annual Openings

47,200

Education

Bachelor's degree

Experience

None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035

Task-Level AI Resilience Scores

AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years

1

90% ResilienceSupplemental

Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices.

2

88% ResilienceCore Task

Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments.

3

82% ResilienceCore Task

Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.

4

75% ResilienceCore Task

Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.

5

72% ResilienceCore Task

Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.

6

65% ResilienceCore Task

Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.

7

58% ResilienceCore Task

Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.

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.

Mostly Resilient

57.6%

Methodology and Scoring Rationale

AI Resilience Report forPurchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

This role is mostly resilient

Purchasing Agents (excl.)

How is AI changing Purchasing Agents (excl.) jobs?

Sources

How fast is AI adoption growing for Purchasing Agents (excl.)?

Sources

Will AI replace Purchasing Agents (excl.)?

Sources

How can Purchasing Agents (excl.) prepare for AI?

Your Career Starts Here

Latest AI news for Purchasing Agents (excl.)

More Career Info

Career: Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products

Parent Careers

Similar Careers

Employment & Wage Data

Task-Level AI Resilience Scores

1

2

3

4

5

6

7