Oregon Labor Market Information System
WIRED Occupation Report Center

Main Menu

Data Tools
WIRED Occupation Report
for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products (13-1021) in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Occupational Description Purchase farm products either for further processing or resale. Include Christmas tree contractors, grain brokers and market operators, grain buyers, and tobacco buyers.
Employment Projections for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
2008
Employment		 2018
Employment
Change		 %
Change		 Projected
Annual
Growth
Openings		 Projected
Annual
Replacement
Openings		 Projected
Total
Annual
Openings
318 337 19 6.0% 2 7 9

Replacement openings are caused by existing workers permanently leaving their occupation. Many additional job openings occur due to job changes within occupations.
Data Sources and Limitations
Wages (All Industries, 2010) for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
10th
Percentile
Wage		 25th
Percentile
Wage		 50th
Percentile
Wage		 75th
Percentile
Wage		 90th
Percentile
Wage		 Avg
Hourly
Wage		 Avg
Annual
Wage
$16.94 $19.84 $27.96 $34.86 $46.22 $29.29 $60,943
Data Sources and Limitations
State of Oregon License Information for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products No statewide license is required for this occupation.


Current Job Openings for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products in the Oregon Portion of the WIRED Region There are 1 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 1 are listed below.
Job Title Date Posted Location Wage Offered
Purchasing - Plant Buyer 6/18/13 Woodburn $25,000/yr to $35,000/yr DOE


Major Industries of Employment for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Industry NAICS Ownership 2008
Employment
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting 11 Private 177
Crop Production 111 Private 97
Vegetable and Melon Farming 1112 Private 15
Fruit and Tree Nut Farming 1113 Private 24
Greenhouse and Nursery Production 1114 Private 49
Agriculture & Forestry Support Activity 115 Private 75
Support Activities for Forestry 1153 Private 72
Manufacturing 31 Private 31
Food Manufacturing 311 Private 25
Other Food Manufacturing 3119 Private 10
Wholesale Trade 42 Private 68
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 424 Private 61
Grocery Product Merchant Wholesalers 4244 Private 31
Farm Product Merchant Wholesalers 4245 Private 16
Misc Nondurable Goods Merchant Whsle 4249 Private 11
Finance and Insurance 52 Private 25
Financial Investment & Related Activity 523 Private 25
Security & Commodity Investment Activity 5231 Private 25


Educational Requirements for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products Workers typically need a Bachelor's degree to enter this occupation. In addition, long-term on-the-job training is typically needed, once employed, to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.
Skills for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products
  • Analyze And Monitor Sales Activity And Trend
  • Apply Mathematical Principles To Accounting, Bookkeeping Or Budgeting
  • Apply Product Knowledge To Marketing Of Goods
  • Apply Purchasing Techniques To Agricultural Activities
  • Complete Purchase Requisitions
  • Conduct Market Research
  • Develop Budgets For Purchasing Agricultural Products
  • Develop Pricing Strategy
  • Identify Tree And Plant Characteristics
  • Manage Inventories And Supplies
  • Monitor Consumer And Marketing Trends
  • Negotiate Business Contracts
  • Obtain Information From Clients, Customers, Patients Or Others
  • Perform Long-Term And Short-Term Planning In Agricultural Setting
  • Prepare Contracts
  • Prepare Reports In Timely Manner
  • Process Records And Maintain Forms And Files
  • Recognize And Evaluate Product Quality
  • Use Computers To Enter, Access And Retrieve Data
  • Use Inventory Control Procedures
  • Use Sources Of Supply In Purchasing
  • Write Product Descriptions


Schools and Training Providers for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products No programs of training are associated with this occupation.


Graduates and Program Completers for training programs related to Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products No programs of training are associated with this occupation.


Employment Service Job Applicants - January 2011 for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Occupation Oregon Job Applicants by Experience Level Washington Applicants
None <1 Year 1-4 Years 5-9 Years 10+ Years
Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products 169 13 71 33 58 0

Occupational experience is largely self-reported.

Applicants counts include only those registered with the Oregon State Employment Department and the Washington State Employment Security Department. They do not represent all job applicants across the WIRED region.

Applicants in Oregon may be listed under multiple occupational categories, so summing applicant counts across occupational classifications will result in some double-counting.

Source: Oregon Employment Department, Washington State Employment Security Department


Related Occupations The scores listed below indicates how closely the skills for Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products matches the occupation in the list. A score of 100% means the occupations have identical skill sets. A maximum of 10 occupations are displayed below.
Occupation Skill Overlap
Wholesale And Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products 48%
Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, And Farm Products 37%
The Oregon-Washington WIRED Region consists of Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill counties in Oregon, and Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties in Washington.