A Wool Buyer typically purchases wool from growers, brokers, or auctions — grading fleece quality, negotiating price, and coordinating logistics — usually for textile manufacturers or wool processors.
Wool Buyer pay typically runs $59K–$99K at this level. The next title up is often Senior Wool Buyer.
Daily rhythm involves grading inspections, price negotiation, contract management, and grower or broker coordination. You'll often work across multiple wool grades and origins, with fleece quality and market conditions shaping daily decisions. Pacing follows seasonal cycles — shearing season is intense, off-season slower.
The grading expertise requirement can surprise newcomers — accurate quality assessment of wool — micron count, staple length, contamination — takes years to develop. Coordination with growers, brokers, processors, and shipping is constant. Long-term grower relationships often matter as much as market timing.
People who thrive here typically have strong sensory and analytical instincts, comfort with seasonal volatility, and patient relationship-building. Curiosity about textile commodities and reliable judgment usually matter more than prior pure-trading background.
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Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Business Operations roles →A Wool Buyer typically purchases wool from growers, brokers, or auctions — grading fleece quality, negotiating price, and coordinating logistics — usually for textile manufacturers or wool processors.
Median pay for a Wool Buyer is about $76K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $46K to $128K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Judgment and Decision Making.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Closely related roles include Senior Wool Buyer, Grain Elevator Operator, and Grain Shipper.
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