- Two programs at one school. 1 bachelor’s, 1 master’s.
- One graduate program states a total: $55,399. The lowest is at University of Washington.
- Out-of-state undergraduates pay $29,354 extra per year at University of Washington. It is the one public university here with a bachelor’s.
- Supply chain managers’ BLS occupation: median $146,080. Middle half $115,940 to $173,370; nationally $107,230.
- What stands out most: port and water freight. The strongest is 4,624 water transportation jobs, 5.71 times the national share.
- One program states STEM designation. University of Washington MS.
The metro
The Census Bureau defines the Seattle metro as the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area: three counties. Seattle splits into three metropolitan divisions, Everett, Seattle-Bellevue-Kent and Tacoma-Lakewood. Every Seattle figure here for jobs, pay and industry covers that whole area.
- Principal cities
- Auburn, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Lakewood, Redmond, Renton, Seattle and Tacoma
- Counties
- Snohomish County, King County and Pierce County
- Metropolitan divisions
- Everett, Seattle-Bellevue-Kent and Tacoma-Lakewood
Census Bureau CBSA delineation, July 2023. Schools are placed in the metro by their county.
Programs
Seattle has two accredited supply chain programs, at University of Washington. By level, Seattle has one bachelor’s and one master’s.
Ranked 34 of 45 master’s programs
Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM)
Seattle, WA
- On campus
- STEM-designated
- No GMAT or GRE required
- AACSB-accredited business school
- The only STEM-designated program among the 2 verified in Seattle
More about this program
Seattle's Foster School delivers this on campus, in person degree to a single cohort of 40 to 45 students who take evening and every-other-Saturday classes across four quarters, finishing in 12 months. The 43-credit curriculum is organized around business foundations, supply chain operations, analytics and leadership rather than a fixed list of classes, and folds in a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification with an optional Black Belt track. GMAT and GRE scores are optional if you can show strong quantitative coursework or work experience instead. Foster designates the degree STEM eligible, which opens a STEM OPT extension for international graduates. Admission runs once a year, starting each June with no fall intake. For the 2026-27 academic year, the total estimated cost is $49,311 for Washington residents and $55,399 for everyone else, and the class of 2024 reported an average starting salary of $108k.
Ranked 20 of 147 bachelor’s programs
Operations and Supply Chain Management Major
Seattle, WA
- On campus
- AACSB-accredited business school
More about this program
Launched in fall 2012, Operations and Supply Chain Management is the smallest of Foster's eight undergraduate business majors, built around five required courses: Principles of Operations Management, Inventory and Supply Chain Management, Spreadsheet Models for Managerial Decision Making, Introduction to Project Management, and Data Mining for Business Intelligence. The curriculum draws on operations research, programming, and analysis of production and inventory models, and the school points to Washington-based companies such as Amazon, Costco, Paccar, and Boeing as examples of firms using these practices. Typical entry-level roles include logistics planner, sourcing or buyer positions, demand planner, and logistics analyst, and students are encouraged to join the Operations Supply Chain Management Club. Graduates of the major can waive the GMAT or GRE requirement if they apply to Foster's Master of Supply Chain Management within a few years of finishing.
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 Seattle.
Residency
The one public university with a bachelor’s in Seattle is University of Washington. At that campus in Seattle, a Washington resident pays less than a nonresident.
At University of Washington, in Seattle, residents pay $12,643 a year and nonresidents $41,997.
Undergraduate tuition and fees by residency at Seattle schools | School | Resident | Nonresident | Difference |
| University of Washington Public, WA · undergraduate, per year | $12,643 | $41,997 | $29,354 |
Tuition and required fees for a full-time undergraduate, 2023-24, as each school reports them to IPEDS, via College Navigator: University of Washington. Each school name links to its program page. Who counts as a resident is each school’s rule, set out on its own residency page.
STEM and OPT
One Seattle program states STEM designation on the school’s own pages:
An F-1 student can work in the U.S. on optional practical training for 12 months after a degree; a degree in a field DHS designates as STEM adds a 24-month extension. Eligibility runs through the school’s designated school official; Study in the States has the terms.
Economy
County Business Patterns counts 84,935 transportation and warehousing jobs at 3,405 employers in the Seattle metro for 2023, and 79,408 more in wholesale trade.
Against the national mix, Seattle stands out for port and water freight and air cargo. In Seattle, water transportation holds 5.71 times its national share of freight jobs, 4,624 of them. In Seattle, air transportation holds 2.08 times its national share of freight jobs, 15,489 of them.
Supply chain occupations in the Seattle metro by concentration | Occupation | Jobs | Location Quotient |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | 13,160 | 2.51 |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | 9,960 | 1.51 |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | 1,940 | 1.48 |
| Operations Research Analysts | 2,110 | 1.45 |
| Logisticians | 4,420 | 1.31 |
| Compliance Officers Counts customs brokers | 6,440 | 1.15 |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,260 | 1.12 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 3,400 | 1.03 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Counts supply chain managers | 1,690 | 0.57 |
BLS OEWS May 2025. A location quotient of 1.0 means the occupation’s share of local jobs equals its national share; 1.5 means half again as many.
County Business Patterns 2023. Share is each line’s part of all transportation and warehousing jobs; ratio is the local share over the U.S. share. Not published: withheld by the Census Bureau to protect individual employers.
How this guide decides what a metro stands out forShow the rules
- Air cargo: air transportation holds at least twice its national share of the metro’s transportation and warehousing jobs, and at least 10,000 jobs.
- Port and water freight: water transportation holds at least twice its national share of the metro’s transportation and warehousing jobs, and at least 1,000 jobs.
- Warehousing: warehousing and storage holds at least 1.4 times its national share of the metro’s transportation and warehousing jobs, and at least 5,000 jobs.
- Parcel and courier hubs: couriers and delivery holds at least 1.5 times its national share of the metro’s transportation and warehousing jobs, and at least 5,000 jobs.
- Trucking: trucking holds at least 1.5 times its national share of the metro’s transportation and warehousing jobs, and at least 5,000 jobs.
- Distribution management: transportation, storage and distribution managers have a location quotient of 1.4 or more.
- Purchasing: purchasing managers have a location quotient of 1.4 or more.
- Operations analytics: operations research analysts have a location quotient of 1.5 or more.
- Manufacturing: industrial production managers have a location quotient of 1.5 or more.
- Freight brokerage and forwarding: cargo and freight agents have a location quotient of 1.5 or more.
Online
27 online programs say a Seattle resident can enroll, on the school’s own authorization page. For Seattle, none of them names Washington as closed.
Online supply chain programs that state they enroll Washington residents | School | Level | Credits | Enrolls From |
| American Public University West Virginia · Online Master of Arts in Supply Chain Management (MA) | Master’s | 36 | Every state |
| Boston University Massachusetts · Online Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM), Metropolitan College | Master’s | 32 | Every state |
| Florida International University Florida · Online Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (MSLSCM) | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| Georgia College & State University Georgia · Online Master of Logistics and Supply Chain Management (MLSCM) | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| Georgia Southern University Georgia · M.S. in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (MS-LSCM) | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| Middle Tennessee State University Tennessee · Supply Chain Management, M.S. | Master’s | 33 | Closed in CA, MA |
| Portland State University Oregon · Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management (MSGSCM) | Master’s | Not published | Every state |
| The Ohio State University Ohio · Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) | Master’s | 33 | Every state |
| The Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania · Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville Alabama · Master of Science in Supply Chain Management | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| University of Arkansas Arkansas · Master of Science in Supply Chain Management | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| University of Colorado at Boulder Colorado · MS Supply Chain Analytics - Online (Master of Science in Supply Chain Analytics) | Master’s | 33 | Every state |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska · M.S. in Supply Chain Management (online Master of Science in Supply Chain Management) | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington North Carolina · Supply Chain Management, M.S. (Master of Science in Supply Chain Management, MS SCM) | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| University of Oklahoma Oklahoma · Online MS in Supply Chain Management (catalog: Supply Chain Management (Online), M.S.) | Master’s | 32 | Every state |
| University of San Diego California · Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM) | Master’s | 33 | Closed in AL, AR, DC, GA, IA, KY, MN, MS, NJ, NC, ND, RI, WI |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville Tennessee · Online Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management (MS SCM); Master of Science in Supply Chain Management | Master’s | 30 | Every state |
| American Public University West Virginia · Online Bachelor of Arts in Supply Chain Management (BA) | Bachelor’s | 120 | Every state |
| Appalachian State University North Carolina · Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Supply Chain Management | Bachelor’s | 120 | Closed in CA |
| Arizona State University Arizona · Supply Chain Management, BS | Bachelor’s | 120 | Every state |
| Ball State University Indiana · Bachelor's Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (Online) | Bachelor’s | 120 | Every state |
| East Texas A&M University Texas · Supply Chain Management (BBA) | Bachelor’s | 120 | Closed in MA |
| Florida International University Florida · Bachelor of Business Administration in Logistics and Supply Chain Management | Bachelor’s | 120 | Every state |
| Oregon State University Oregon · Supply Chain & Logistics Management | Bachelor’s | 180 | Every state |
| Portland State University Oregon · Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Global Supply Chain Management | Bachelor’s | 180 | Every state |
| Purdue University Global Indiana · Bachelor of Science in Applied Supply Chain Management | Bachelor’s | 180 | Every state |
| Utah Valley University Utah · Operations and Supply Chain Management, B.S. | Bachelor’s | 120 | Every state |
Each school’s own state-authorization page, read 2026-09-24. The table lists the programs whose page says who can enroll; “Every state” is the school’s own statement and “Closed in” lists the states it names. The rest are in the online degree ranking. Authorization changes, so confirm with the school before you apply.
How to become
- 1
Pick The Level That Fits Where You Start
Seattle offers one bachelor’s and one master’s. University of Washington has the lowest in-state rate for a bachelor’s in Seattle, $12,643 a year. With a degree already, Seattle’s stated graduate totals start at $55,399.
- 2
Keep Working While You Study
Beyond Seattle, 27 online programs state they enroll Washington residents.
- 3
Know The Local Pay Ladder Before You Negotiate
Logisticians in Seattle run from $76,960 at the 10th percentile to $164,680 at the 90th, with the median at $108,920.
- 4
Aim At The Roles Seattle Concentrates
Production, planning, and expediting clerks are Seattle’s most concentrated supply chain occupation: 2.51 times the national share, median $81,850 in Seattle.
Cost
University of Washington states a total for its Seattle graduate program: $55,399. University of Washington reports $12,643 a year in tuition and fees for a Seattle bachelor’s. Seattle sits at 111.1 on BEA’s 2024 price index (U.S. = 100).
Graduate supply chain programs in Seattle, by total tuition | Program | Total Tuition | Credits |
| University of Washington WA · On campus | $55,399 | 43 |
Note: A blank cell means the school’s program page does not state that figure.
Pay
BLS counts Seattle’s supply chain managers among transportation, storage and distribution managers; in Seattle their median is $146,080, against $107,230 nationally. Seattle logisticians earn $108,920 at the median, and the middle half of them $97,030 to $132,340.
Nine of the nine occupations below pay more in Seattle than nationally. At Seattle’s prices, the logistician median is worth $98,009 in national terms.
Supply chain pay in the Seattle metro by percentile | Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | U.S. Median |
| Purchasing Managers 1,260 jobs | $119,490 | $138,940 | $165,430 | $198,020 | $232,380 | $148,080 |
| Industrial Production Managers 3,400 jobs | $126,230 | $136,970 | $151,580 | $172,140 | $217,170 | $126,060 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Counts supply chain managers · 1,690 jobs | $85,220 | $115,940 | $146,080 | $173,370 | $213,910 | $107,230 |
| Logisticians 4,420 jobs | $76,960 | $97,030 | $108,920 | $132,340 | $164,680 | $82,320 |
| Operations Research Analysts 2,110 jobs | $70,070 | $82,530 | $102,930 | $135,410 | $165,870 | $88,940 |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents 9,960 jobs | $61,450 | $75,000 | $95,970 | $118,820 | $138,430 | $77,710 |
| Compliance Officers Counts customs brokers · 6,440 jobs | $63,510 | $78,110 | $95,850 | $122,840 | $149,050 | $80,730 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks 13,160 jobs | $59,270 | $64,150 | $81,850 | $81,850 | $81,850 | $59,650 |
| Cargo and Freight Agents 1,940 jobs | $49,070 | $54,730 | $61,860 | $75,130 | $82,850 | $52,260 |
BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates: annual wages at the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th and 90th percentiles. 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.
Questions
Which Schools In Seattle Offer A Supply Chain Management Degree?
University of Washington: two accredited programs in Seattle.
Are Any Seattle Supply Chain Programs STEM-Designated?
Yes: University of Washington MS. An F-1 graduate of that Seattle program can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
How Much More Do Out-Of-State Students Pay In Seattle?
A nonresident undergraduate in Seattle pays $29,354 more a year at University of Washington, per the IPEDS report of each Seattle school.
What Do Supply Chain Managers Earn In Seattle?
BLS counts them among transportation, storage and distribution managers, whose Seattle median is $146,080; the top tenth earn over $213,910.
What Kind Of Supply Chain Economy Does Seattle Have?
By the thresholds on this page, Seattle stands out for port and water freight and air cargo.
Can You Study Supply Chain Management Online From Seattle?
27 online programs say a Seattle resident can enroll, on the school’s own authorization page. For Seattle, none of them names Washington as closed.
Other city guides in Washington | City | Programs | Manager Median |
| Portland Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 4 | $109,860 |
Every accredited program in Washington, with statewide pay and job growth.
All 64 metros with an accredited program, searchable.
ASCM and ISM credentials: who may sit each exam and what it costs.
Every verified online program, with tuition and campus visits.
National, state and metro pay for the managers’ occupation.
National, state and metro pay for logisticians.
No employer is named on this page: none of the sources above lists employers by metro.
