The true loaded cost of a hire
Salary is only part of the picture. A junior buyer at £38k basic actually costs closer to £48k–£55k once you add employer NI, pension, holiday cover, workspace and management time. A senior procurement manager sits at £70k–£95k loaded.
| Option | Annual cost | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Junior in-house buyer | £40k–£55k loaded | One person, learning on the job |
| Senior procurement manager | £70k–£95k loaded | Full-time, often over-spec'd for SMEs |
| Outsourced procurement partner | Per project or monthly retainer | A team on tap, only when needed |
Where each option wins
Outsourcing wins when spend is under about £2m a year, requirements are lumpy, and you'd otherwise be underusing a full-time hire. You pay only for the work done and get instant access to a wider supplier network than any single buyer would build.
An in-house buyer wins when spend is high and steady, supplier relationships need daily management, or the role bundles other operations tasks that need to sit inside the business.
The hybrid most SMEs land on
Many growing SMEs run an internal ops/office lead who owns supplier relationships day-to-day, and use an outsourced partner for anything that needs a market comparison, a benchmark, or a category they don't buy often. That combination usually costs less than a single senior hire and covers more ground.