Home / Tasks / Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources
In 2 of the 26 jobs that do this, AI or robots already show up on it, most often as robots doing it. In the other 24, there's no evidence yet. Jobs spend a median of 12m of an 8-hour shift on it, and about 4.6 million U.S. workers hold these jobs.
Every job that does this
Each job words the task its own way. Minutes are that job's estimate for a typical shift; the label is the evidence for that job's version.
| Job and its version of the task | Per shift | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering ManagersPerform administrative functions, such as reviewing or writing reports, approving expenditures, enforcing rules, or purchasing of materials or services. | 54m | No evidence yet |
| Administrative Services ManagersAcquire, distribute and store supplies. | 23m | No evidence yet |
| Facilities ManagersAcquire, distribute and store supplies. | 22m | No evidence yet |
| Lodging ManagersPurchase supplies, and arrange for outside services, such as deliveries, laundry, maintenance and repair, and trash collection. | 21m | No evidence yet |
| Wind Energy Operations ManagersOrder parts, tools, or equipment needed to maintain, restore, or improve wind field operations. | 17m | No evidence yet |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersInspect physical conditions of warehouses, vehicle fleets, or equipment and order testing, maintenance, repairs, or replacements. | 16m | Robots |
| Food Service ManagersOrder and purchase equipment and supplies. | 15m | No evidence yet |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersObtain financing for and purchase necessary machinery, land, supplies, or livestock. | 15m | No evidence yet |
| Construction ManagersRequisition supplies or materials to complete construction projects. | 15m | No evidence yet |
| Photonics TechniciansMonitor inventory levels and order supplies as necessary. | 13m | No evidence yet |
| Farm and Home Management EducatorsProvide direct assistance to farmers by performing activities such as purchasing or selling products and supplies, supervising properties, and collecting soil and herbage samples for testing. | 13m | Robots |
| ForestersProcure timber from private landowners. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansProcure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Environmental Engineering Technologists and TechniciansObtain product information, identify vendors or suppliers, or order materials or equipment to maintain inventory. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Automotive Engineering TechniciansOrder new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Marine Engineers and Naval ArchitectsProcure materials needed to repair marine equipment and machinery. | 11m | No evidence yet |
| Security ManagersPurchase security-related supplies, equipment, or technology. | 11m | No evidence yet |
| Manufacturing EngineersPurchase equipment, materials, or parts. | 11m | No evidence yet |
| Microsystems EngineersIdentify, procure, or develop test equipment, instrumentation, or facilities for characterization of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications. | 11m | No evidence yet |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association ManagersPurchase building and maintenance supplies, equipment, or furniture. | 11m | No evidence yet |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersPurchase necessary equipment. | 10m | No evidence yet |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansCoordinate equipment purchases, installations, or transfers. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Clinical Research CoordinatorsOrder drugs or devices necessary for study completion. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Energy EngineersReview or negotiate energy purchase agreements. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Photonics EngineersSelect, purchase, set up, operate, or troubleshoot state-of-the-art laser cutting equipment. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Environmental EngineersRequest bids from suppliers or consultants. | 6m | No evidence yet |
How to read this
This task type comes from O*NET's detailed work activities, which link similar tasks across jobs. A label applies to one job's version of the task: AI use comes from real AI conversations (Anthropic Economic Index) and robot evidence from deployments in real workplaces. "No evidence yet" may just mean the task is rare in the data. How we keep time.
See all 250 shared tasks, or find any job on the big clock.