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Category Manager, Electrical Equipment Salary

This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.

BLS does not measure Category Manager, Electrical Equipment as its own occupation, so this page uses Purchasing Managers (SOC 11-3061, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $148,080 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $115,550 to $182,270.

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Broader occupation

Purchasing Managers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.

National pay range

Median $148,080P10 $92,490P90 $223,280
Purchasing Managers, United States, annual wages
PointAnnual wageMeaning
10th percentile$92,49010% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this.
25th percentile$115,55025% earned less than this.
Median$148,080Half earned less, half earned more.
75th percentile$182,27075% earned less than this.
90th percentile$223,28090% earned less than this.
Mean$156,360Average wage.

What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-3061 Purchasing Managers, United States. View this release at BLS.

Pay relative to all occupations

Median for this occupation divided by the all-occupations median, same area, same annual basis
MeasureValue
This occupation, median$148,080
All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median$50,980
Relative wage2.90 times

A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.

Pay in industries that hire this occupation

National employment and pay by BLS industry, BLS, May 2025
Industry (BLS name)NAICSEmploymentShare of occupationMedianP25 to P75
Computer Systems Design and Related Services5415001,5601.9%$161,380$128,440 to $199,950
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services5413001,4201.7%$157,250$128,490 to $200,100
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers4234001,4201.7%$140,080$107,100 to $178,160
Engineering Services5413301,3101.6%$156,760$128,820 to $199,820
Building Equipment Contractors2382006200.7%$112,530$93,650 to $156,100
Nonresidential Building Construction2362004900.6%$144,870$98,810 to $196,380
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution2211004400.5%$153,390$129,630 to $177,790
Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing3359003200.4%$132,730$109,690 to $172,100
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors2382103000.4%$133,930$96,470 to $169,420
Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors2382202600.3%$107,060$93,930 to $130,070
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services5182002000.2%$181,590$142,790 to $218,020
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing3341001800.2%$178,520$134,860 to $219,720
Utility System Construction2371001200.1%$133,120$101,030 to $157,720
Testing Laboratories and Services541380900.1%$173,400$129,580 to $204,200
Facilities Support Services561200800.1%$126,280$96,170 to $175,170
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance811300800.1%$108,170$96,000 to $127,970
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction237130700.1%$139,450$110,720 to $200,680

These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.

Pay in target metros

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in target metros, BLS, May 2025
Metro areaMedianP25 to P75EmploymentLocation quotient
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$172,150$156,730 to $195,1904,1802.46
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$137,820$108,900 to $170,2403,4001.55
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$140,170$114,390 to $174,6901,2700.99
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$165,910$128,840 to $211,3402,5901.65
Columbus, OH$141,490$113,300 to $178,8905600.93
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$155,080$128,970 to $185,2303,2501.33
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$198,980$165,210 to $257,0307001.13
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$149,030$117,280 to $177,1007401.13

Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.

Highest and lowest paying metros

Ranked by published median annual wage among 219 metro areas with an exact median.

Top 10 metros by median, BLS, May 2025
RankMetro areaMedianEmploymentLocation quotient
1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$198,9807001.13
2Trenton-Princeton, NJ$180,3403302.53
3Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$180,0009801.12
4Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$176,3004102.74
5Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$174,6401,9401.32
6Peoria, IL$174,4302102.37
7Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$172,1504,1802.46
8New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$171,8107,3701.43
9Rochester, MN$171,340801.15
10Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$171,280700.78
Bottom 10 metros by median, BLS, May 2025
RankMetro areaMedianEmploymentLocation quotient
210Lincoln, NE$106,080900.87
211Odessa, TX$101,870300.77
212McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$101,670800.49
213Niles, MI$100,890401.26
214Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$98,720500.53
215Jonesboro, AR$95,290401.21
216Lafayette, LA$93,950300.35
217Tallahassee, FL$93,910700.69
218Jackson, MS$86,690800.57
219San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR$86,6502100.56

Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.

Where pay is highest relative to local wages

This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.

Leading metros by occupation median divided by local all-occupations median, BLS, May 2025
MetroOccupation medianAll-occupations medianRatioEmploymentLocation quotient
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$176,300$46,6103.78 times4102.74
Peoria, IL$174,430$49,5903.52 times2102.37
Burlington, NC$152,870$44,0103.47 times300.95
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$161,620$47,5203.40 times800.91
Salinas, CA$158,550$47,3803.35 times300.34
Memphis, TN-MS-AR$156,830$46,8903.34 times2400.72
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV$156,730$47,4403.30 times500.79
Morgantown, WV$156,230$47,3503.30 times300.86
Wichita, KS$155,970$47,6303.27 times1600.97
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$165,910$51,1703.24 times2,5901.65
Athens-Clarke County, GA$133,630$41,2203.24 times300.58
Fayetteville, NC$147,370$45,6203.23 times300.47
Kansas City, MO-KS$161,910$50,8203.19 times6901.17
Wilmington, NC$145,730$45,8003.18 times600.58
Fort Smith, AR-OK$125,330$39,5603.17 times601.15
Rochester, NY$161,120$51,2103.15 times3501.31
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$163,660$52,0803.14 times1,4901.45
Binghamton, NY$154,610$49,4603.13 times400.76
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$171,280$55,3103.10 times700.78
Springfield, MA$159,800$51,9303.08 times500.43
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$150,530$49,0303.07 times1801.38
Erie, PA$135,580$44,4603.05 times400.63
Ann Arbor, MI$168,670$55,3803.05 times1301.12
Columbus, GA-AL$132,510$43,5403.04 times701.12
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$147,600$48,5503.04 times1901.99

Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.

Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 11-3061 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.

Change since the prior BLS release

Median annual wage, same SOC and same BLS area code, two releases
Reference periodMedian
May 2024$139,510
May 2025$148,080
Difference+$8,570 (+6.1%)

Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.

What is inside the BLS pay figure

For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.

Pay components for Supply Chain & Procurement roles against the BLS wage definition
ComponentIn the BLS figure?Note
Base rate and guaranteed payIncludedBLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay".
Production and incentive payIncludedBLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses".
On-call payIncludedBLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages.
Overtime pay matters hereLeft outBLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only.
Shift differentialsLeft outBLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure.
Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters hereDepends on the termsGuaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined.
Per diem, travel and relocation matters hereLeft outBLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure.
Benefits and employer costsLeft outBLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits".

Recruiter's read

Qualitative, not from BLS data.

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment candidates are usually screened on switchgear, transformers, UPS, busway, generators; should-cost; OEM negotiations.

We usually find them through utility, manufacturing and hyperscaler procurement. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.

Questions

What is the median pay for Category Manager, Electrical Equipment?

The BLS median annual wage for Purchasing Managers nationally is $148,080 (BLS, May 2025).

What range do most Category Manager, Electrical Equipment earn?

Per BLS, the middle half earned $115,550 to $182,270, and 10% earned less than $92,490.

Is this the exact job title?

Purchasing Managers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.

How many people are employed in this occupation?

BLS estimates 84,320 jobs nationally in Purchasing Managers across all industries.

What do BLS wages leave out?

They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.

Hiring Market Brief

A one-page brief for Category Manager, Electrical Equipment: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.

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What the published rows say about Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States is represented here by Purchasing Managers, SOC 11-3061, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the broader crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of Category Manager, Electrical Equipment, supplies the figures on this page. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, the published annual median is $148,080 and the middle-half endpoints are $115,550 and $182,270.

The Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States middle-half band spans $66,720 on the annual basis. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $32,530, compared with $34,190 from the median to the upper quarter. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, for an offer against this Category Manager, Electrical Equipment crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States can also be compared with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where the annual median for Purchasing Managers is $171,810 in May 2025. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, the Category Manager, Electrical Equipment crosswalk comparison differs by $23,730 from the the United States median.

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States can also be compared with Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, where the annual median for Purchasing Managers is $172,150 in May 2025. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, the Category Manager, Electrical Equipment crosswalk comparison differs by $24,070 from the the United States median.

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 11-3061 are Oil and Gas Extraction at $208,290 and Oil and Gas Extraction at $208,290. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Purchasing Managers occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.

The Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States matched median changed from $139,510 in May 2024 to $148,080 in May 2025, a difference of $8,570 up. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 11-3061, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, this Category Manager, Electrical Equipment comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Purchasing Managers, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States, no Category Manager, Electrical Equipment-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.

Questions about Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States

Which BLS row supports Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States?

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment is mapped to SOC 11-3061, Purchasing Managers; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $148,080. The mapping is broader, not a separate survey of this niche title.

Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for Category Manager, Electrical Equipment?

Category Manager, Electrical Equipment pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 11-3061 observation.

Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.

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