There are no universal educational requirements for entry level jobs.
Many smaller companies promote clerks or technicians into the purchasing department.
Some small companies and most large organizations require a college degree and prefer applicants with a master's degree in business administration or management. Some individuals are hired upon college graduation without prior work experience, however, some acquire jobs based on employment in the clerical, technical or sales fields. Familiarity with computers also is desirable. The job requires the ability to work independently and a good memory for details. Computers have allowed much of the paperwork typically involved in ordering and procuring supplies to be eliminated, reducing the demand for lower-level buyers who perform these duties and causing this industry to grow slower than average to the year 2008.