- Five programs at two schools. 2 bachelor’s, 2 master’s, 1 doctorate.
- One graduate program states a total: $22,500. Lowest in-state bachelor’s rate: $9,728.
- Out-of-state undergraduates pay $17,186 extra per year at Iowa State University. One other public university also charges nonresidents more.
- Supply chain managers’ BLS occupation: median $99,010. Nationally $107,230; logisticians earn $78,740.
- Annual supply chain openings: about 1,110. Fastest growth to 2034: logisticians, +19.9%.
By level, Iowa has two bachelor’s, two master’s and one doctorate. Every Iowa program sits in an AACSB-accredited business school.
Iowa State University offers the most in Iowa: four programs, from bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate study. Across Iowa, one listing names an online format.
Ranked 6 of 45 master’s programs
Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MS SCM)
Ames, IA
- Fully online
- STEM-designated
- No GMAT or GRE required
- AACSB-accredited business school
- The only STEM-designated program among the 3 verified in Iowa
- The only one of the 3 verified Iowa programs with an online format
More about this program
Twelve months is the fastest route through Iowa State's 30-credit master's in supply chain management, according to the department chair: four courses in fall, four in spring and two in summer, though you can choose a slower pace. The school lists the length as 2 to 3 semesters. The Ivy College of Business delivers the program 100 percent online, and it's STEM-designated with a strong analytical emphasis. Tuition is estimated at $2,250 per three-credit course, plus fees. No GMAT or GRE is required, and there are application deadlines for fall, spring and summer starts. Some credits from the college's graduate certificates, including one in supply chain management, may apply to the degree, so ask an advisor if you've already started one. International students should know the program isn't approved to issue Forms I-20 for F-1 status.
Ranked 11 of 147 bachelor’s programs
Supply Chain Management, B.S.
Ames, IA
- On campus
- AACSB-accredited business school
- Highest six-year graduation rate of the 2 Iowa bachelor’s schools
More about this program
An undergraduate major in supply chain management at Iowa State's Ivy College of Business requires 18 credits beyond the college's core requirements, run through its Department of Supply Chain Management. Five required courses cover process management, analysis and improvement, supply chain planning and control, decision tools for logistics and operations management, principles of transportation, and principles of purchasing and supply management, and you then choose one elective from options like supply chain analytics, enterprise resource planning systems, transportation carrier management, global trade management, or an international live case and study tour. The full degree totals 122 credit hours. Graduates go on to work as buyers, inventory control specialists, supply chain planners, category managers, logistics analysts, and facility operations managers.
Not ranked
Supply Chain Management, B.A.
Cedar Falls, IA
- On campus
- AACSB-accredited business school
- Lowest in-state tuition of the 2 Iowa bachelor’s programs
More about this program
Course work for the major covers operations management, supply chain and purchasing, distribution and logistics, global strategic supply management, and supply chain modeling and analytics, with electives in Six Sigma and lean consulting and project management. Students can join a study abroad program that ends with a Six Sigma Green Belt pre-certification exam. The Wilson College of Business reports that over the past five years, 90 to 100% of graduates found jobs within six months, and cites a $58,000 average starting salary with mid-career examples including $110,630 for a supply chain manager, $121,110 for a purchasing manager, and $94,560 for a logistics manager. Alumni have gone on to work at Amazon, John Deere, Collins Aerospace, and Polaris.
Not ranked
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Supply Chain Management specialization
Ames, IA
- MBA specialization
- On campus
- AACSB-accredited business school
More about this program
Ames is where you take this 48-credit full-time MBA, and the school says it runs two years. Thirty of the credits are core courses and 18 are graduate electives, with a specialization in supply chain management available inside the degree. The school describes that specialization as an overview of global information and processes across supply management, operations, information technology and logistics. Core classes meet in person on weekday mornings, with electives in the afternoon, evening and online. The published tuition estimate is $2,604 per course for Iowa residents and $5,808 for non-residents, based on a three-credit course and before fees. You submit the GMAT or GRE, and fall admission materials are due June 15.
Each card is read from the school’s own program page. The rank is the program’s place in this site’s national ranking of its kind; the highlighted lines compare it with the other verified programs in Iowa. A card marked “Not ranked” has no national rank to show: one is a bachelor’s program placed below the top 25 that the national bachelor’s list publishes, and one was found in this site’s crawl of AACSB-accredited schools’ own program pages, and AACSB’s supply chain list, which the national rankings are built from, doesn’t name it.
Also Accredited In Iowa
These programs appear in the AACSB or ACBSP listing. This site hasn’t verified their tuition, credits or length yet, so their cards carry the accreditor’s record only.
Iowa State University is the Iowa graduate program here with a stated price, $22,500 in total.
For a bachelor’s, University of Northern Iowa reports the lowest in-state rate in Iowa, $9,728 a year, and Iowa State University the highest, $10,497.
Graduate figures are read from each school’s own program page.
Master’s Programs In Iowa
Master’s in supply chain management programs in Iowa, by total tuition | Program | Total Tuition | Per Credit | Credits |
| Iowa State University IA · Fully online | $22,500 | $750 | 30 |
Bachelor’s Programs In Iowa
Bachelor’s in supply chain management programs in Iowa, by in-state tuition | Program | In-State Tuition And Fees | Out-Of-State | Graduation Rate |
| University of Northern Iowa IA · On campus | $9,728 | $21,272 | 69% |
| Iowa State University IA · On campus | $10,497 | $27,683 | 75% |
Tuition and fees are per year for the whole school, from IPEDS 2023-24; graduation rates are six-year, whole school.
In-State And Out-Of-State Tuition In Iowa
Two Iowa public universities report higher rates for nonresidents; the gap runs from $11,544 a year at University of Northern Iowa to $17,186 at Iowa State University. For an Iowa student, residency at Iowa State University is worth about $68,744 over four years.
Iowa borders Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Together Iowa’s neighbors have 84 accredited programs, 23 of them in Illinois, more than Iowa has itself.
Next door, the lowest stated graduate total is $17,845; in Iowa it is $22,500.
Accredited supply chain programs in the states bordering Iowa | Neighboring State | Programs | Lowest Graduate Total | Lowest Bachelor’s Rate A Year |
| Illinois Midwest region | 23 | $66,240, Loyola University Chicago | $14,085, Western Illinois University |
| Wisconsin Midwest region | 21 | $25,992, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | $8,212 ($16,125 nonresident), University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
| Missouri Midwest region | 18 | $42,000, Saint Louis University | $8,400 ($16,800 nonresident), Missouri Southern State University |
| Minnesota Midwest region | 11 | | $9,780, Metro State University |
| Nebraska Midwest region | 9 | $21,300, University of Nebraska | $8,270 ($15,920 nonresident), University of Nebraska at Kearney |
| South Dakota Midwest region | 2 | $17,845, University of South Dakota | $9,432 ($12,942 nonresident), University of South Dakota |
Note: A blank cell means that state has no program with a verified figure.
Graduate totals are read from each school’s program page; bachelor’s rates are IPEDS 2023-24, per year, for the whole school.
One of the five Iowa directory listings name an online format, so some Iowa students can skip the commute to an in-state school. Iowa’s Iowa State University appears in the online master’s ranking.
Residency can still matter online for an Iowa student: Iowa State University charges Iowa’s nonresidents $17,186 more a year on campus; an Iowa student should check whether its online rate differs.
Online totals as each school states them. The online degree ranking and the online master’s ranking list each program’s online tuition and any campus residency.
In Iowa, purchasing managers earn the highest median of these occupations, $121,580. Logisticians in Iowa earn a median of $78,740, below the $82,320 national figure; Iowa’s lowest-paid tenth earn under $53,530 and the top tenth over $110,240.
For transportation, storage and distribution managers in Iowa, the occupation that includes supply chain managers, the median is $99,010, with the 10th percentile at $61,340 and the 90th at $164,980. On the procurement side, Iowa’s purchasing managers earn a median of $121,580 and its buyers and purchasing agents $70,360, across 4,570 jobs.
Supply chain occupations in Iowa: jobs and median pay | Occupation | Jobs | Median In Iowa | U.S. Median |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 1,850 | $99,010 | $107,230 |
| Logisticians | 2,480 | $78,740 | $82,320 |
| Purchasing Managers | 610 | $121,580 | $148,080 |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | 4,570 | $70,360 | $77,710 |
| Operations Research Analysts | 300 | $80,580 | $88,940 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 3,620 | $106,510 | $126,060 |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | 660 | $48,370 | $52,260 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 3,540 | $60,320 | $59,650 |
| Compliance Officers | 3,660 | $75,620 | $80,730 |
BLS publishes no separate wage for supply chain managers. They are counted inside transportation, storage and distribution managers, and every figure here is for that whole occupation. BLS publishes no separate wage for customs brokers. They are counted inside compliance officers, an occupation that spans government, finance and healthcare, so figures for the whole occupation describe far more than customs work.
Pay And The Cost Of Living In Iowa
At 87.8 for 2024, Iowa’s BEA price level sits 12.2% under the U.S. average, so Iowa’s $78,740 logistician median buys what $89,720 would nationally. Adjusted that way, Iowa ranks 16th of 51 for logistician pay.
Supply Chain Pay By Metro Area In Iowa
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL pays Iowa’s highest logistician median, $100,710, $21,970 above the Iowa figure. Metros crossing into Nebraska, Illinois and South Dakota count their jobs outside Iowa too.
Median pay for logisticians and transportation, storage and distribution managers in Iowa metro areas | Metro Area | Logistician Median | Managers Median |
| Omaha, NE-IA 1,030 logistician jobs | $64,860 | $96,180 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL 770 logistician jobs | $100,710 | $102,000 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 520 logistician jobs | $77,860 | $100,880 |
| Dubuque, IA 340 logistician jobs | $93,480 | $116,010 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA 270 logistician jobs | $81,810 | $107,570 |
| Iowa City, IA 120 logistician jobs | $73,920 | $100,620 |
| Ames, IA 80 logistician jobs | $75,620 | $104,930 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 70 logistician jobs | $80,020 | $102,490 |
Note: A blank cell means BLS publishes no estimate for that metro.
Iowa Pay Against Its Neighbors
Minnesota pays logisticians the most here, $82,320; Iowa is fourth of 7 at $78,740. Adjusted for prices, South Dakota leads at $90,330, and Iowa places second.
Logistician and manager pay in Iowa and the states it borders | State | Logistician Median | Managers Median | Logistician, Price-Adjusted |
| Iowa (this page) 2,480 logistician jobs | $78,740 | $99,010 | $89,720 |
| Illinois 14,170 logistician jobs | $80,100 | $120,250 | $80,134 |
| Wisconsin 5,140 logistician jobs | $73,180 | $95,900 | $77,772 |
| Missouri 3,440 logistician jobs | $78,350 | $102,870 | $86,272 |
| Minnesota 3,450 logistician jobs | $82,320 | $118,180 | $83,471 |
| Nebraska 1,500 logistician jobs | $65,370 | $97,380 | $72,550 |
| South Dakota 210 logistician jobs | $80,020 | $107,410 | $90,330 |
Note: Price-adjusted pay divides the median by BEA’s state price level. A blank cell means no estimate.
Iowa’s largest by headcount: buyers and purchasing agents (4,570), then industrial production managers (3,620) and production, planning, and expediting clerks (3,540). Iowa holds 0.8% of U.S. jobs in the managers’ occupation, and Iowa logisticians are 1% of the U.S. total.
The managers’ occupation has 1.186 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa (location quotient 0.83), ranking Iowa 27th of 50 and below the national share. In Iowa, logisticians hold 1.588 jobs per 1,000 (0.98 quotient, 20th).
Compliance officers and operations research analysts are left out of this count: both occupations reach well beyond supply chain work. “The managers’ occupation” is transportation, storage and distribution managers. A location quotient of 1.0 means the occupation’s share of jobs matches the national share.
County Business Patterns counts 71,907 transportation and warehousing jobs at 4,023 Iowa employers in 2023, plus 70,206 jobs in Iowa’s wholesale trade. By that count Iowa ranks 31st of 51 for transportation and warehousing employment.
Within it, trucking is Iowa’s largest freight line, 38,734 jobs, followed by warehousing and storage at 16,487. Warehousing and storage employs 16,487 people at 257 Iowa sites, 28th among the states. The best-paid of these lines in Iowa is freight support services, averaging $62,665 a year per job.
Logistics and wholesale industries in Iowa: jobs, employers and average pay, 2023 | Industry | Jobs | Employers | Average Pay | Share Of U.S. Jobs |
| Transportation and warehousing | 71,907 | 4,023 | $55,102 | 1.1% |
| Truck transportation | 38,734 | 3,037 | $58,019 | 2.3% |
| Warehousing and storage | 16,487 | 257 | $51,724 | 1.0% |
| Support activities for transportation | 5,369 | 391 | $62,665 | 0.6% |
| Couriers and messengers | 8,308 | 133 | $45,463 | 0.7% |
| Air transportation | 761 | 30 | $39,369 | 0.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 70,206 | 4,686 | $73,587 | 1.1% |
Note: A blank cell means the Census Bureau withholds that figure to protect individual employers.
County Business Patterns 2023 (Census Bureau): employer establishments, mid-March employment and annual payroll; average pay is payroll divided by jobs. Rail is outside its scope. Shares compare with the 50 states and DC.
In Iowa, logisticians grow fastest: +19.9%, from 1,920 jobs in 2024 to 2,300 in 2034, per Iowa’s labor market office (U.S.: +16.7%). The slowest in Iowa is production, planning, and expediting clerks, at +1.4%.
Across its six core supply chain occupations, Iowa expects about 1,110 openings a year. All six grow faster in Iowa than across the U.S.
Projected employment for supply chain occupations in Iowa, 2024 to 2034 | Occupation | 2024 Jobs | 2034 | Change | Openings A Year | U.S. Change |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 1,990 | 2,180 | +9.8% | 180 | +6% |
| Logisticians | 1,920 | 2,300 | +19.9% | 220 | +16.7% |
| Purchasing Managers | 750 | 820 | +8.4% | 60 | +3.1% |
| Operations Research Analysts | 470 | 580 | +24.5% | 40 | +21.5% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 3,640 | 3,860 | +6.2% | 280 | +1.9% |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | 710 | 790 | +10.7% | 60 | +8.5% |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 3,310 | 3,360 | +1.4% | 310 | -1.8% |
| Compliance Officers | 3,340 | 3,560 | +6.8% | 280 | +2.9% |
Long-term projections from each state’s labor market information office, published through Projections Central (workforce.iowa.gov). Openings count new jobs plus workers who retire or change careers. The core occupations leave out compliance officers and operations research analysts.
Transportation, Storage, And Distribution Managers In Iowa
Iowa has 1,850 transportation, storage and distribution managers. Their median, $99,010, puts Iowa 42nd of 52. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $79,630 to $128,180, and the outer tenths reach $61,340 and $164,980. At 1.186 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.83 (27th). Iowa’s labor office projects +9.8% to 2034, about 180 openings a year.
Logisticians In Iowa
Iowa has 2,480 logisticians. Their median, $78,740, puts Iowa 32nd of 52. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $64,110 to $98,140, and the outer tenths reach $53,530 and $110,240. At 1.588 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.98 (20th). Iowa’s labor office projects +19.9% to 2034, about 220 openings a year.
Purchasing Managers In Iowa
Iowa has 610 purchasing managers. Their median, $121,580, puts Iowa 45th of 51. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $98,270 to $154,400, and the outer tenths reach $81,500 and $197,010. At 0.389 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.72 (32nd). Iowa’s labor office projects +8.4% to 2034, about 60 openings a year.
Buyers And Purchasing Agents In Iowa
Iowa has 4,570 buyers and purchasing agents. Their median, $70,360, puts Iowa 42nd of 52. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $58,310 to $82,480, and the outer tenths reach $46,850 and $106,910. At 2.93 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.93 (26th).
Operations Research Analysts In Iowa
Iowa has 300 operations research analysts. Their median, $80,580, puts Iowa 32nd of 48. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $61,590 to $125,880, and the outer tenths reach $47,520 and $140,960. At 0.192 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.27 (46th). Iowa’s labor office projects +24.5% to 2034, about 40 openings a year.
Industrial Production Managers In Iowa
Iowa has 3,620 industrial production managers. Their median, $106,510, puts Iowa 51st of 51. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $90,990 to $133,140, and the outer tenths reach $74,830 and $171,910. At 2.322 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 1.47 (sixth). Iowa’s labor office projects +6.2% to 2034, about 280 openings a year.
Cargo And Freight Agents In Iowa
Iowa has 660 cargo and freight agents. Their median, $48,370, puts Iowa 40th of 49. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $44,240 to $61,380, and the outer tenths reach $38,610 and $75,300. At 0.423 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.67 (30th). Iowa’s labor office projects +10.7% to 2034, about 60 openings a year.
Production, Planning, And Expediting Clerks In Iowa
Iowa has 3,540 production, planning, and expediting clerks. Their median, $60,320, puts Iowa 20th of 52. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $50,290 to $65,760, and the outer tenths reach $45,370 and $80,550. At 2.272 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.91 (20th). Iowa’s labor office projects +1.4% to 2034, about 310 openings a year.
Compliance Officers In Iowa
Iowa has 3,660 compliance officers. Their median, $75,620, puts Iowa 29th of 52. The middle half of Iowa’s pay for this occupation runs from $62,930 to $91,720, and the outer tenths reach $49,940 and $114,460. At 2.349 jobs per 1,000 in Iowa, its location quotient is 0.88 (33rd). Iowa’s labor office projects +6.8% to 2034, about 280 openings a year.
Pay and percentiles from BLS OEWS (May 2025); state ranks count the states, DC and Puerto Rico with an estimate. Each occupation’s salary page carries its national, state and metro detail.
Counting shipments that start, end or stay in Iowa, the Freight Analysis Framework estimates 621.7 million tons of freight worth $507.1 billion moved in 2024. That ranks Iowa 24th of 51 by value and 13th by weight, and 51.8% of its tonnage never leaves the state.
By value, machinery and mixed freight lead Iowa’s freight. By weight, Iowa moves mostly cereal grains and natural gas and fossil products. In Iowa, trucks carry 71.1% of the tons, pipelines 13.6% and rail 8.8%.
Iowa’s largest domestic trading partner is Illinois ($48.5 billion, both directions), then Minnesota and Nebraska. Iowa exported $17.0 billion of freight, mostly to Canada, and imported $12.1 billion, mostly from Canada. The framework forecasts Iowa’s tonnage to grow 62.5% by 2050 and its real value 96.9%.
The five largest commodities by value in Iowa freight, 2024 | Commodity | Value, 2024 | Share Of Value |
| Machinery By value, first in Iowa | $38.6 billion | 7.6% |
| Mixed freight By value, second in Iowa | $37.3 billion | 7.4% |
| Meat and seafood By value, third in Iowa | $36.3 billion | 7.2% |
| Motor vehicles By value, fourth in Iowa | $32.6 billion | 6.4% |
| Live animals By value, fifth in Iowa | $31.7 billion | 6.2% |
Freight Analysis Framework 5.7.1 (BTS and FHWA): 2024 estimates in current dollars; the 2050 value forecast is in constant 2017 dollars. Trading-partner values combine freight in both directions.
Iowa’s programs fall across two Census areas, led by Ames, IA with one school.
- Ames, IA (metro area): Iowa State University.
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA (metro area): University of Northern Iowa.
Areas are Census Bureau CBSAs (July 2023), assigned by each school’s county.
Iowa has one city page, for Omaha.
City pages for Iowa metro areas | City | Programs | Logistician Median |
| Omaha Omaha, NE-IA | 3 | $64,860 |
Each city page lists the programs with a campus in the city itself (where there is none, the nearest in its metro, and the page says “near”), with pay for every supply chain occupation across the metro. A metro that crosses a state line is listed under each state it reaches.
- Master’s ranking: one of the 58 programs is in Iowa, and the best placed is Iowa State University at number 6.
- Bachelor’s ranking: two of the 148 programs are in Iowa, and the best placed is Iowa State University at number 11.
- Start with the level: Iowa’s five listings split into two bachelor’s, two master’s and one doctorate.
- Stay in state if you can. At Iowa State University, an Iowa resident pays $10,497 a year against $27,683 for everyone else.
- Check the format line by line: one of Iowa’s five directory listings name an online option, and Iowa State University states an online graduate format on its own page.
- Match the program to where you’ll work: in Iowa, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL pays logisticians most, $100,710 against $78,740 statewide.
- Look at demand too: in Iowa, logisticians grow fastest, +19.9% by 2034.
How Many Supply Chain Management Programs Are In Iowa?
This directory lists five accredited supply chain programs in Iowa, at two schools: two bachelor’s, two master’s and one doctorate.
How Much Does A Supply Chain Management Degree Cost In Iowa?
Iowa State University states a graduate total of $22,500. For a bachelor’s in Iowa, in-state tuition and fees per year run from $9,728 to $10,497, as schools report them to IPEDS.
What Do Supply Chain Managers Make In Iowa?
In Iowa, the occupation counting supply chain managers pays a median of $99,010 across 1,850 jobs, against $107,230 nationally.
How Much Do Logisticians Make In Iowa?
The logistician median in Iowa is $78,740, across 2,480 jobs. At Iowa’s price level of 87.8 (U.S. = 100), it buys what $89,720 would nationally.
Which Iowa Metro Area Pays Supply Chain Workers The Most?
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL has Iowa’s highest logistician median, $100,710. Dubuque, IA pays Iowa’s managers’ occupation the most, $116,010.
How Does Iowa Supply Chain Pay Compare With Neighboring States?
Of the 7 states compared with Iowa, Minnesota pays logisticians the most, $82,320; Iowa ranks fourth at $78,740. After adjusting for prices, Iowa ranks second.
How Many Logistics Jobs Are In Iowa?
Census County Business Patterns counts 71,907 transportation and warehousing jobs in Iowa for 2023, 16,487 of them in warehousing and storage. BLS counts 2,480 Iowa logisticians, the planners who run those flows.
Which Supply Chain Job Pays The Most In Iowa?
Purchasing managers earn Iowa’s highest supply chain median, $121,580, then industrial production managers at $106,510.
Is Supply Chain Management In Demand In Iowa?
Iowa’s labor market office expects logisticians in Iowa to grow 19.9% by 2034, against 16.7% nationally, and Iowa expects about 1,110 openings a year across Iowa’s six core supply chain occupations.
Can Iowa Residents Get A Tuition Discount At Out-Of-State Schools?
Iowa is in none of the four regional exchanges, so Iowa residents pay nonresident rates elsewhere unless a school discounts them itself.
Can You Study Supply Chain Management Online In Iowa?
One of the five Iowa programs lists an online format in the accreditor’s record. Of Iowa’s graduate programs with verified costs, Iowa State University states an online format.
National, state and metro pay for buyers and purchasing agents.
Programs, pay and logistics jobs in the Omaha metro.
23 accredited programs next door.
21 accredited programs next door.
18 accredited programs next door.
Bachelor’s degrees you can finish online from Iowa.
Every state, with its accredited programs and a link to its page.
What each job involves and the degree path into it.
