Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. May negotiate contracts. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.
$77,710 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 65%
- 33%
- 2%
Anthropic's data does not cover this job.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 30%. Today's estimate: 39%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 16 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.Done daily by most who do it. | 19% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.Done daily by most who do it. | 14% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | 46%Half by Oct 2026 | |
| Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.Done daily by most who do it. | 13% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | 51%Half by now | |
| Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.Done daily by most who do it. | 13% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | 57%Half by now | |
| Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 9% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | 57%Half by now | |
| Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | 77%Half by now | |
| Train or supervise sales or clerical staff.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min17 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.Done daily by most who do it. | 2% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 1% | 21 min8 min to 1.3 h | 98%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products33% now, 86% by 2028
- Procurement Clerks78% now, 90% by 2028
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products43% now, 57% by 2028
- Purchasing Managers17% now, 76% by 2028
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents59% now, 87% by 2028
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products44% now, 52% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.