Purchasing and Inventory Control Workers

(NOC 1524)

in All Business, Finance, and Administration

Purchasing and inventory control workers process purchasing transactions and maintain inventories of materials, equipment and stock. They work for retail and wholesale companies, manufacturing companies, government agencies and other organizations.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 25 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

  • Estimate 3555 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 9370 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$15.90

Minimum

$23.80

Median

$41.76

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,376

Minimum

$31,771

Median

$58,699

Maximum

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

Hourly Pay

$15.00

Minimum

$23.00

Median

$38.50

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,754

Minimum

$36,515

Median

$70,271

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Purchasing and inventory control workers process purchasing transactions and maintain inventories of materials, equipment and stock. They work for retail and wholesale companies, manufacturing companies, government agencies and other organizations.

Job duties

Purchasing control workers:

  • Review orders for accuracy and verify that materials, equipment and stock are not available from current inventories.
  • Source and get price quotes from catalogues and suppliers and prepare purchase orders.
  • Calculate cost of orders and charge or forward invoices to correct accounts.
  • Process purchases within purchasing authority.
  • Contact suppliers to schedule deliveries and to work out shortages, missed deliveries and other problems.
  • Prepare and maintain purchasing files, reports and price lists.

Inventory control workers:

  • Use inventory systems to monitor inventory levels as materials, equipment and stock are issued, transferred within an organization or sold to the public.
  • Compile inventory reports, recording the quantity, type and value of materials, equipment and stock on hand, using manual or computerized inventory systems.
  • Prepare orders to restock materials, equipment and stock.
  • Maintain stock rotation and dispose of and account for outdated stock.
  • Enter data for production scheduling, stock replacement/relocation and inventory adjustments.
  • Reconcile physical inventories with computer counts.

Sample job titles

  • inventory clerk
  • inventory control clerk
  • inventory planner
  • procurement clerk
  • purchase order clerk
  • purchasing clerk
  • purchasing clerk assistant
  • purchasing control clerk
  • supply clerk

Skills

  • You must be organized and attentive to detail. Your work must be accurate. Good communication skills are important. You need to be able to work as part of a team. Computer skills and the ability to work with technology may be helpful.

Job requirements

  • High school is usually required.
  • Courses in purchasing management may be required for purchasing clerks.
  • Courses in production and inventory management and ability to operate a computerized inventory system may be required for inventory clerks.

Other considerations

  • The duties of purchasing and inventory clerks may overlap in some businesses. Movement to supervisor positions or more senior jobs like purchasing agent or retail buyer is possible with additional training or experience.

By the numbers

Quick look

790

employed in 2016

79.9%

employed full-time

0.0%

self employed

45.3%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
54.7%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
45.4

median age

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

63,775

employed in 2016

78.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

73.4%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
26.6%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
47.9

median age

Where will I likely work?

55.1%

Halifax

$32,051 median annual income
17.1%

North Shore

$29,545 median annual income
13.9%

Annapolis Valley

$39,596 median annual income
10.1%

Southern

$24,276 median annual income
3.8%

Cape Breton

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

28.9%

Retail trade

14.0%

Wholesale trade

11.6%

Public administration

10.7%

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

10.7%

Manufacturing

What is the age of Employment?

25.0%

45-54

23.0%

55-64

18.0%

35-44

17.0%

25-34

13.0%

15-24

4.0%

65+

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

26.3%

45-54

22.6%

55-64

19.4%

35-44

16.7%

25-34

7.5%

65+

Top levels of education

41.8%

High school

$30,505 median annual income
31.0%

College Diploma

$33,179 median annual income
11.4%

Bachelor

$25,825 median annual income
8.9%

Less than high school

$30,002 median annual income
3.8%

Trade Certification

N/A

Compared to: All Business, Finance, and Administration

33.8%

College Diploma

$36,304 median annual income
23.8%

High school

$32,903 median annual income
22.8%

Bachelor

$41,755 median annual income
5.8%

Trade Certification

$34,807 median annual income
4.9%

Less than high school

$23,174 median annual income

Education & training

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Supply Chain Canada - Nova Scotia Institute
Halifax, NS

Additional resources