Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
Business and Financial Operations Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 13-1023.00
Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.39
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
- Data source: OpenAIPublished: 2023
0.368
0.000Range of values carried here0.844Scale, basis and source
Task-level exposure
Show 2 hidden tasks19 rated tasks · 17 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (89.5%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.O*NET Task ID 1157 | 1.0 |
Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.O*NET Task ID 1142 | 0.5 |
Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.O*NET Task ID 1143 | 0.5 |
Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.O*NET Task ID 1144 | 0.5 |
Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.O*NET Task ID 1145 | 0.5 |
Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.O*NET Task ID 1146 | 0.5 |
Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.O*NET Task ID 1147 | 0.5 |
Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time, and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.O*NET Task ID 1148 | 0.5 |
Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action.O*NET Task ID 1149 | 0.5 |
Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.O*NET Task ID 1150 | 0.5 |
Maintain and review computerized or manual records of purchased items, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories.O*NET Task ID 1151 | 0.5 |
Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.O*NET Task ID 1152 | 0.5 |
Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.O*NET Task ID 1153 | 0.5 |
Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices.O*NET Task ID 1154 | 0.5 |
Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges.O*NET Task ID 1155 | 0.5 |
Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets.O*NET Task ID 1158 | 0.5 |
Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.O*NET Task ID 1159 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (19)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts. | Core |
| Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services. | Core |
| Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history. | Core |
| Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices. | Core |
| Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations. | Core |
| Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives. | Core |
| Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time, and resolve problems related to undelivered goods. | Core |
| Confer with staff, users, and vendors to discuss defective or unacceptable goods or services and determine corrective action. | Core |
| Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes. | Core |
| Maintain and review computerized or manual records of purchased items, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories. | Core |
| Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services. | Core |
| Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies. | Core |
| Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters. | Core |
| Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased. | Core |
| Monitor changes affecting supply and demand, tracking market conditions, price trends, or futures markets. | Core |
| Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services. | Core |
| Attend meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions, and seminars to network with people in other purchasing departments. | Core |
| Interview vendors and visit suppliers' plants and distribution centers to examine and learn about products, services, and prices. | Supplemental |
| Arrange the payment of duty and freight charges. | Supplemental |
0.00/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
None of this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks is classified as a physical task.
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
The BLS Employment Projections table has no row for SOC 13-1023.
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32110 | 자재관리 사무원 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3323Buyers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Buyers buy goods and services for use or resale on behalf of industrial, commercial, government or other establishments and organizations.
Tasks
- (a) determining or negotiating contract terms and conditions, awarding supplier contracts or recommending contract awards for the purchase of equipment, raw materials, products, services and merchandise for resale;
- (b) obtaining information about requirements and stock and developing specifications for quantity and quality to be purchased, costs, delivery dates and other contract conditions;
- (c) purchasing general and specialized equipment, materials or business services for use or for further processing by their establishment;
- (d) inviting tenders, consulting with suppliers and reviewing quotations;
- (e) purchasing merchandise for resale by retail or wholesale establishments;
- (f) studying market reports, trade periodicals and sales promotion materials and visiting trade shows, showrooms, factories and product design events;
- (g) selecting the merchandise or products that best fit the establishment's requirements;
- (h) interviewing suppliers and negotiating prices, discounts, credit terms and transportation arrangements;
- (i) overseeing distribution of merchandise to outlets and maintaining adequate stock levels;
- (j) establishing delivery schedules, monitoring progress and contacting clients and suppliers to resolve problems.
Example occupations
Buyer · Procurement officer · Purchasing agent · Purchasing merchandiser · Supply officer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- purchaserESCO 3323.2Same scope
Purchasers select and purchase stock, materials, services or goods. They organise tender procedures and select suppliers.
- ICT buyerESCO 3323.2.2This occupation is broader
ICT buyers create and place purchase orders for ICT products and services, handle receiving and invoice issues, assess current procurement practices and effectively apply strategic sourcing methodologies. They build relationships with strategic vendors and negotiate price, quality, service levels and delivery terms.
- set buyerESCO 3323.3This occupation is broader
Set buyers analyse the script in order to identify the set dressing and the props needed for all individual scenes. They also consult with the production designer and the prop and set making team. Set buyers buy, rent or commission the making of the props. Set buyers make sure sets are authentic and believable.
- leather raw materials purchasing managerESCO 1324.3.4.2.1Overlapping, not the same
Leather raw materials purchasing managers plan and purchase supplies of hides, skins, wet-blue or crust in coordination with the production requirements. They negotiate processes and forecast the levels of demand for products to meet business needs and keep constant check on stock levels and quality to maximise business efficiency. They identify potential suppliers, visit existing suppliers, and develop business relationships with them.
- purchasing managerESCO 1324.3.4.2Overlapping, not the same
Purchasing managers are in charge of buying goods, equipment and services for their company, and try to ensure the most competitive prices. They are also responsible for negotiating contracts, reviewing the quality of products and analyzing suppliers , and the use and resale of goods and services.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| M1101 | Acheteur / Acheteuse | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| G1407 | Econome en hôtellerie-restauration | This occupation is broader |
| E1409 | Acheteur / Acheteuse média | Related, not a match |
| D1431 | Assistant / Assistante achat | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| N1303 | Approvisionneur / Approvisionneuse logistique | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3522 | Agentes de compras | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 61113 | Berufe im Einkauf - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 61112 | Berufe im Einkauf - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 326 | 商品仕入外交員 | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources