Contract Specialist
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
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.
Also called: Buyer · Contract Administrator (Contract Admin) · Procurement Official · Procurement Specialist · Procurement and Contracting Administrator (Procurement and Contracting Admin) · Procurement and Contracting Buyer · Purchasing Administrator (Purchasing Admin) · Purchasing Agent
O*NET-SOC 13-1023.00 (Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products)
Contract Specialist salary
Wages for purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $37.36.
Contract Specialist pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $52,690 | $82,720 | $134,310 |
| Texas | $47,760 | $76,050 | $124,140 |
| Florida | $45,970 | $72,850 | $122,930 |
| New York | $51,820 | $79,460 | $132,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,470 | $73,550 | $121,520 |
| Illinois | $50,710 | $78,470 | $126,640 |
| Ohio | $47,560 | $76,410 | $120,950 |
| Georgia | $48,070 | $74,530 | $129,000 |
| North Carolina | $48,440 | $75,880 | $127,860 |
| Michigan | $47,260 | $75,900 | $126,330 |
Contract Specialist job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 516,100 jobs in 2025 to 547,000 in 2035 (6% change).
- About 47,200 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Rapid Growth).
How to become a contract specialist
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- 1 to 12 months on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma3.4%
- High school diploma or equivalent21.2%
- Some college, no degree22%
- Associate's degree10.4%
- Bachelor's degree32.8%
- Master's degree9.1%
- Doctoral or professional degree1%
Related training programs
- General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other
- Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management
- Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General
What does a contract specialist do?
Common tasks
- Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
- Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
- Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
- Formulate policies and procedures for bid proposals and procurement of goods and services.
- Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
- Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
- Hire, train, or supervise purchasing clerks, buyers, and expediters.
- Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.
- Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.
- Evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
Most important skills
- Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Contract Specialist certifications
The certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- National Association of Purchasing Card Professionals · Core
- American Purchasing Society · Advanced
- American Purchasing Society · Advanced
- American Purchasing Society · Advanced · In demand
- American Purchasing Society · Specialty
- National Property Management Association, Inc. · Specialty
Contract Specialist jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more contracting & acquisition jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Contracting & Acquisition jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Procurement Clerks
- Purchasing Manager
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
- Logistics Analysts
- Logistician
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Supply Chain Manager
- Sales Managers
- Cost Estimators
More contracting & acquisition careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.