- The core task: determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials. It heads the task list in the next section.
- Typical entry education: high school diploma or equivalent. 67% of survey respondents say a new hire needs a bachelor’s degree.
- Related work experience at entry: 5 years or more. On-the-job training: none.
- 3 certifications apply: CSCP, CLTD, CPIM. CSCP is from Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).
- Median pay for transportation, storage and distribution managers: $107,230. The 10th to 90th percentiles run $65,120 to $194,900.
- Projected change through 2035: 6.1%. Annual openings: about 18,300.
A supply chain manager owns the whole path a product takes, from the supplier who makes a part to the customer who receives the finished good. The job is less about doing any one step and more about making the steps fit: how much to buy and when, where to hold inventory, which carriers and routes to use, and what to measure so the operation can tell whether it is getting better.
In practice the work splits between planning and fixing. Planning means setting staffing and equipment levels, consolidating shipments, and choosing the metrics that cost and service are judged on. Fixing means redesigning a process that is slow or expensive and getting purchasing, warehousing and transportation to change together.
The tasks O*NET rates most important for supply chain managers:
- Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
- Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
- Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
- Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
- Implement new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
- Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
Job titles in the same O*NET occupation: Global Supply Chain Director, Material Requirements Planning Manager, Solution Design and Analysis Manager, Supply Chain Director and Supply Chain Manager. Source: O*NET
OnLine, 11-3071.04, read 2026-09-23.
The Handbook describes supply chain and logistics managers as the people who set an organization’s strategy for sourcing, storing and moving goods to clients. They build the overall supply chain framework, then watch how it runs: talking with suppliers, distributors and internal departments, and stepping in when something disrupts the flow of goods.
A lot of the week is management in the ordinary sense. Managers in this occupation plan and oversee staff, prepare and run departmental budgets, hire and schedule training, and look for ways to raise a team’s productivity. The balance shifts with the setting: in some warehouse and transportation operations a manager spends more time on the floor with workers and less on budgets.
Compliance runs through all of it. The Handbook’s examples are transportation managers checking driver logs against Department of Transportation rules, and supply chain and logistics managers verifying customs procedures.
Main Responsibilities
- Set sourcing, storage and distribution strategy, and track whether the network is delivering it
- Plan, organize and oversee staff, and find ways to make operations more productive
- Prepare and manage departmental budgets
- Oversee purchasing and procurement
- Keep operations within safety policies and transportation and customs rules
- Resolve problems in transportation, storage, the wider supply chain, or with clients
Who They Work With
Suppliers and distributors outside the organization, and inside it the sales, accounting and human resources departments, which the Handbook gives as examples of the departments these managers collaborate with.
Where And When They Work
Offices and warehouses, with travel to other parts of the logistics network. Most work full time and some work more than forty hours; schedules can include nights, weekends and holidays, some managers are on call for emergencies, and railyards and warehouses can mean high-visibility vests and hearing or eye protection. The Handbook notes the work can be stressful because activities must happen in sequence on tight deadlines.
The biggest employers of transportation, storage and distribution managers, by the Handbook's count:
transportation and warehousing (30%), wholesale trade (15%), manufacturing (13%), government, excluding state and local education and hospitals (8%) and management of companies and enterprises (7%).
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, What They Do and Work Environment. Employer shares are of the occupation's jobs in 2025, from Employment Projections data, and include the self-employed. Read 2026-09-23.
BLS counts supply chain managers inside transportation, storage and distribution managers, so the pay and growth figures on this page cover that whole occupation, including warehouse, fleet and distribution managers.
The median for transportation, storage and distribution managers is $107,230 a year. The middle half
earns $82,440 to $146,770, and the full range runs from $65,120 at the 10th percentile to $194,900 at the 90th, across
221,180 jobs. The supply chain manager salary page breaks that down by state, metro area,
industry and employer type.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national. Read 2026-09-23.
It is a management role, so the usual route runs through a narrower supply chain job first, such as buyer, planner, logistician or warehouse supervisor, and a degree is what gets you into that first job. A bachelor’s in supply chain management is the direct route. A master’s or an MBA with a supply chain concentration is the usual step for people moving into the role from another field, or moving up to director.
What BLS Says Entry Takes
Typical entry requirements for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, BLS Employment Projections | Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|
| Related work experience | 5 years or more |
|---|
| On-the-job training | None |
|---|
Experience above all. BLS classes this as an occupation that needs years of related work before entry, and the Handbook says the amount and type varies by organization, industry and position. Some employers prefer or require a bachelor’s degree; some require certifications or, for managers who travel between facilities or help with transportation, a driver’s license or commercial driver’s license.
Majors
Business, transportation or engineering, according to the Handbook, which also notes that some colleges offer bachelor’s programs in supply chain management and logistics specifically.
Degree Levels That Lead In
What O*NET's respondents in the occupation said a new hire needs:
Education a new hire needs, O*NET 11-3071.04, top three answers | Education Level | Share Of Respondents |
|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 67% |
|---|
| Master’s degree | 19% |
|---|
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10% |
|---|
Sources: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (entry
requirements); O*NET OnLine, 11-3071.04, education section, top three
answers. The O*NET figures are survey responses from workers in the occupation, not a legal requirement.
CSCP is the end-to-end credential and the closest match to the role. CLTD fits managers whose scope is mainly logistics, and CPIM fits those who come up through planning.
Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
CSCP: Certified Supply Chain Professional
The end-to-end supply chain: demand management and forecasting, global networks, sourcing, internal operations and inventory, forward and reverse logistics, supplier relationships, risk, and optimization, sustainability and technology.
- Who It Is For
- ASCM pitches it at people responsible for the supply chain end to end: sourcing strategy and supplier selection, inventory visibility, demand forecasting, and designing a network that scales.
- Eligibility
- None. ASCM sets no education or experience requirement; anyone can buy an authorization to test.
- Exam
- One exam of 150 questions (130 scored, 20 unscored pretest) in 3.5 hours, scored from 200 to 350, with 300 or more passing. It is taken at a Pearson VUE center or online. The content runs across eight modules.
- Cost
- ASCM lists the exam at $1,450 for members with its certification upgrade and $2,015 for everyone else.
- Renewal
- Stays valid while you earn 75 professional development points every five years. Holders aged 62 or older can convert a current certification to a lifetime designation, which ends the five-year maintenance cycle.
Source: ASCM, CSCP page, exam details, FAQs and exam handbook, read 2026-09-23.
The CSCP guide: the exam module by module, the full cost and how to keep it.
Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
CLTD: Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution
Logistics specifically: logistics strategy, demand and capacity, customer and order management, warehouse and fulfillment center management, inventory, transportation, global logistics, reverse logistics and risk, and network design.
- Who It Is For
- People whose work is the movement and storage of goods: transportation, warehousing and fulfillment, order management and logistics network design, where the make, deliver and return steps of the supply chain meet.
- Eligibility
- None. ASCM sets no education or experience requirement; anyone can buy an authorization to test.
- Exam
- One exam of 150 questions (130 scored, 20 unscored pretest) in 3.5 hours, scored from 200 to 350, with 300 or more passing. It is taken at a Pearson VUE center or online. The content runs across nine modules.
- Cost
- ASCM lists the exam at $1,100 for members with its certification upgrade and $1,530 for everyone else.
- Renewal
- Stays valid while you earn 75 professional development points every five years. Holders aged 62 or older can convert a current certification to a lifetime designation, which ends the five-year maintenance cycle.
Source: ASCM, CLTD page, exam details, FAQs and exam handbook, read 2026-09-23.
Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
CPIM: Certified in Planning and Inventory Management
Planning and inventory inside the operation: supply chain strategy, sales and operations planning, demand, internal and external supply, inventory, detailed schedules, distribution, and quality and continuous improvement.
- Who It Is For
- ASCM names the people it is for by task: ERP users and IT staff, planners at any level of the planning hierarchy, sales and operations planning teams, and anyone doing master production scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity planning or manufacturing inventory control.
- Eligibility
- None. ASCM sets no education or experience requirement; anyone can buy an authorization to test.
- Exam
- One exam of 150 questions (130 scored, 20 unscored pretest) in 3.5 hours, scored from 200 to 350, with 300 or more passing. It is taken at a Pearson VUE center or online. The content runs across nine modules.
- Cost
- ASCM lists the exam at $1,265 for members with its certification upgrade and $1,755 for everyone else.
- Renewal
- Stays valid while you earn 75 professional development points every five years. Holders aged 62 or older can convert a current certification to a lifetime designation, which ends the five-year maintenance cycle.
Source: ASCM, CPIM page, exam details, FAQs and exam handbook, read 2026-09-23.
The CPIM guide: the exam module by module, the full cost and how to keep it.
ASCM membership is optional, though members pay less. You buy an authorization to test, which expires six months after purchase (12 months when bought in a bundle), and ASCM recommends about 100 hours of study per exam. A candidate who fails must wait 14 full days before retaking the same exam.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One; titles from
O*NET OnLine and the Handbook.
- Logistician. The Handbook names supply chain manager as the role experienced logisticians advance into, and says logisticians may work under supply chain managers.
- Supply Chain Analyst. The analyst seat is a common graduate entry into the same work, one level down.
- Purchasing Manager. Overseeing purchasing and procurement is one of the duties the Handbook lists for these managers, so the two jobs overlap at the sourcing end.
- Industrial Production Manager. Plant managers coordinate with warehousing and procurement managers, according to the Handbook, which puts the two roles on either side of the same handoff.
- Warehouse Manager. The same BLS occupation, run from inside one building rather than across the network.
- Transportation Manager. The same BLS occupation, focused on the fleet and drivers that move the goods.
The qualities the Handbook names as important for transportation, storage and distribution managers:
- Leadership. Motivating staff while coordinating supply chain and logistics operations.
- Organization. Keeping track of the many details of a facility or a logistics network.
- Problem-solving. Handling supply chain disruptions, staffing problems and client complaints as they come.
- Time management. Keeping activities that must happen in sequence on schedule, under tight deadlines.
- Communication and interpersonal skills. Working with the people they supervise, other departments and outside clients.
O*NET lists the software the occupation uses and flags the technologies employers name most often in their job postings. For
supply chain managers, the ones it marks as in demand are Microsoft Outlook, SAP software, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel.
Source: O*NET OnLine, 11-3071.04, Software Skills. "In demand" and "hot" are
O*NET's own flags, based on how often employers name the technology in job postings. Read 2026-09-23.
BLS projects employment of transportation, storage and distribution managers to grow 6.1% over 2025 to 2035,
from 228,100 to 242,100 jobs. That is faster than the 3.5% projected for all occupations.
BLS expects about 18,300 openings a year. Of those, 4,900 (27%)
replace people leaving the labor force, 12,000 (66%) replace people
moving to other occupations, and 1,400 (8%) are new jobs. The
supply chain manager salary page sets out what BLS says is driving demand.
Sources: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35;
EP Table 1.10. New jobs is total openings minus
separations. Read 2026-09-23.
What Degree Do You Need To Be A Supply Chain Manager?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education for transportation, storage and distribution managers. In O*NET's survey of the occupation, 67% of respondents said a new hire needs a bachelor’s degree, and 19% said a master’s degree.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Supply Chain Manager?
BLS lists 5 years or more of related work experience as typical for entry, on top of a high school diploma. It is a job people are promoted into.
How Much Does A Supply Chain Manager Make?
BLS counts supply chain managers inside transportation, storage and distribution managers, so the pay and growth figures on this page cover that whole occupation, including warehouse, fleet and distribution managers. The median for transportation, storage and distribution managers is $107,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with the 10th to 90th percentile running $65,120 to $194,900.
Is Supply Chain Manager A Good Career?
On the federal numbers: a median of $107,230, and BLS projects the occupation to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 18,300 openings a year.
Can You Become A Supply Chain Manager Without A Degree?
Yes. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry education for the occupation that counts supply chain managers, and the Handbook describes workers moving up from the warehouse floor. It also says some employers prefer or require a bachelor’s, so a degree widens the set of jobs open to you.
Do Supply Chain Managers Need A Certification?
Some employers require or prefer one, according to the Handbook, which describes certifications as a way to show competency in a particular area of transportation, storage or distribution management. ASCM’s CSCP is the end-to-end supply chain credential.
What Is The Difference Between A Supply Chain Manager And A Logistician?
Scope and seniority. Logisticians analyze and coordinate the supply chain and may work under a supply chain manager; the manager sets the strategy for sourcing, storing and moving goods and runs the staff and budget behind it. BLS counts them in different occupations.
Pay for transportation, storage and distribution managers by state, metro area and industry.
Runs a warehouse or distribution center: inbound and outbound shipments, inventory, staff, safety and the building itself.
Runs an organization’s transportation: the drivers, the fleet, the routes and the safety rules they operate under.
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
