The Best Logistics Degrees, Ranked
Every logistics-named bachelor’s and master’s here, with tuition and formats.
What Is Logistics
What Is Logistics? The Field, The Jobs And The Programs
Logistics as a field you can work in and study: what it covers, what the jobs pay, and how many programs teach it by name.
By the Supply Chain Degree Programs editorial team Updated
What Is Logistics?
Logistics is the work of moving and storing goods so they arrive where they are needed, when they are needed: the transportation, the warehousing, the inventory, and the planning that ties them together. It is the physical half of a supply chain, the part that handles the product itself rather than the contracts and forecasts around it.
The federal classification of college programs does not separate it from the wider supply chain field. NCES files both under CIP 52.0203, Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management, and names Logistics Management and Materials Management among the programs that belong there. Where the two fields part ways in jobs and pay is the subject of the guide to logistics vs. supply chain; this article stays with logistics as a field you can work in and study.
In practice the word covers a lot of ground. A logistics team might choose the carrier for a container leaving a port, decide which warehouse holds which stock, plan the route a delivery van takes, or handle returns coming back the other way. The sections below take the field apart: the work, the jobs and what they pay, and then the programs that teach it.
What Logistics Work Covers
The NCES description of the field lists the ground a logistics program covers. Five of its areas are logistics proper, and each has a job on this site built around it:
| Area Of Logistics | The Job Built Around It |
|---|---|
| Transportation | Transportation manager |
| Storage and handling | Warehouse manager |
| Inventory control | Production planner |
| Logistics planning | Logistician |
| Shipping and delivery management | Freight forwarder |
Areas: the NCES definition of the field. Each job links to its career guide.
O*NET, the Labor Department’s occupation database, rates tasks by how important workers say they are. The top three for the two hands-on logistics occupations show how differently the work splits:
| Occupation | Most Important Tasks, Per O*NET |
|---|---|
| Logisticians |
|
| Freight agents |
|
Logisticians manage relationships and performance: customers, subcontractors, service agreements. Freight agents handle the shipment itself: the carrier, the paperwork, the tracking.
Logistics Job Titles And Where BLS Counts Them
Job ads rarely say “logistician.” They say analyst, coordinator, planner or specialist. BLS sorts those titles into occupations, and the occupation is what its pay and outlook figures describe, so it helps to know where a title lands:
| Occupation | Titles BLS Lists Under It |
|---|---|
| Logisticians | Logistician, Logistics Analyst, Logistics Coordinator, Logistics Planner and Logistics Specialist |
| Freight agents | Cargo Agent, Cargo Router, Freight Agent and Freight Shipping Agent |
| Logistics managers | Airport Manager, Cold Storage Supervisor, Distribution Center Manager, Logistics Manager, Logistics Supply Officer and Marine Oil Terminal Superintendent |
BLS projections data, 2025-35: example titles per occupation.
One title sits in two places. BLS’s projections list logistics coordinator among logisticians’ titles, while O*NET files logistics coordinator under the freight agents’ occupation. Which one a given job falls into depends on the work: planning and analysis points to logistician, booking and tracking shipments to the agents. O*NET also keeps a separate group for logistics analysts, whose titles include global logistics analyst, logistics analyst and logistics management analyst.
Logistics Jobs And What They Pay
BLS publishes wages for occupations rather than job titles, and these three cover most logistics work: logisticians, who plan and analyze the flow; freight agents, who arrange and track shipments; and transportation, storage and distribution managers, who run the operation.
| Occupation | Median Pay | Hourly Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logisticians | $82,320 | $39.58 | 251,040 |
| Freight agents | $52,260 | $25.13 | 97,670 |
| Logistics managers | $107,230 | $51.55 | 221,180 |
BLS wage survey, May 2025, national. In these tables “freight agents” is BLS’s cargo and freight agents occupation and “logistics managers” its transportation, storage, and distribution managers.
The logistician career guide covers the core job in depth, and the transportation manager and warehouse manager guides cover the management jobs BLS counts in that third occupation.
The Pay Range, From Entry Level To The Top
A median hides a wide spread. BLS also publishes percentiles: nine in ten workers in an occupation earn more than its 10th percentile, and one in ten earns more than its 90th. For logistics, the spread looks like this:
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logisticians | $50,890 | $64,440 | $106,190 | $133,160 |
| Freight agents | $38,340 | $45,710 | $63,390 | $79,810 |
| Logistics managers | $65,120 | $82,440 | $146,770 | $194,900 |
Same survey, national annual wages.
The ranges overlap. A logistician at the 25th percentile ($64,440) earns more than the median freight agent ($52,260), and the top tenth of logisticians ($133,160) earn more than the median logistics manager ($107,230).
Where The Logistics Jobs Are
These five states employ the most logisticians, 38% of the national total between them:
| State | Logisticians | Median Pay |
|---|---|---|
| California | 32,940 | $92,890 |
| Texas | 21,030 | $75,480 |
| Florida | 15,020 | $76,410 |
| Illinois | 14,170 | $80,100 |
| Georgia | 12,580 | $77,570 |
Same survey, state estimates.
The logistician salary page has every state and the metro areas that pay most. For programs near the jobs, the state rankings list the supply chain programs in each state.
Who Hires Logisticians
Logistics is not one industry’s job. The Occupational Outlook Handbook breaks down where logisticians worked in 2025, and the largest share was in manufacturing:
| Sector | Share Of Logisticians |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 22% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 15% |
| Federal government | 14% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 11% |
| Wholesale trade | 11% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Logisticians, Work Environment. Shares of the occupation’s jobs.
Job Outlook And Openings Each Year
BLS projects employment for each occupation over 2025-35, against 3.5% growth for all occupations. Openings count every job that needs filling each year, including the ones people leave or retire from, so they run well above the growth alone:
| Occupation | Growth | New Jobs | Openings A Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logisticians | +17.6% | 44,900 | 26,600 |
| Freight agents | +6.2% | 6,200 | 9,000 |
| Logistics managers | +6.1% | 14,000 | 18,300 |
BLS projections, 2025-35.
Logisticians are the fast-growing part of the field, at +17.6%. BLS gives its reason in the projections tables: “share increases as the growth of e-commerce makes logistics more dynamic and complex.” The is supply chain a good career? guide sets these figures beside the rest of the supply chain occupations.
What It Takes To Get Into Logistics
Logistics has two doors. BLS lists a high school education as the typical entry education for freight agents, so a coordinator or dispatcher role is reachable without a degree. For logisticians it lists a bachelor's degree , and 75% of the logisticians O*NET surveyed said a new hire needs one.
The management jobs are reached by promotion. For the managers occupation, BLS lists a high school education and 5 years or more of related work experience as the typical way in.
| Occupation | Typical Entry Education | Work Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Logisticians | Bachelor's degree | None |
| Freight agents | High school diploma or equivalent | None |
| Logistics managers | High school diploma or equivalent | 5 years or more |
BLS projections, Table 1.2, 2025-35.
Where Logistics Is Taught
Logistics is taught mostly under another name. AACSB and ACBSP, the two accreditors behind every program in this site’s A to Z directory, list 355 programs in the field between them. 26 of those names mention logistics, 7 of them alongside supply chain, at 22 schools. The others go by supply chain or a related name, and under CIP 52.0203 they are the same kind of degree.
This site also reads each program’s own page. 34 of the programs verified that way carry logistics or transportation in their official name: 26 bachelor’s and 8 master’s, at 31 schools in 18 states. 19 of them can be finished online, and 15 are taught on campus only. The logistics degrees ranking lists every one, and the online logistics ranking compares the online programs on online tuition.
The name tells you where a school put the emphasis. The course list shows how much of a program is transportation and warehousing, so read it before you apply.
Bachelor’s Or Master’s: The Two Levels Compared
For logisticians, BLS names a bachelor's degree as the usual way in, so the bachelor’s is the entry degree; a master’s goes beyond what the entry jobs ask for. Among the logistics-named programs this site verified:
| Level | Programs | Can Finish Online | Cost Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | 26 | 11 | $10,084 a year, median in-state |
| Master’s | 8 | 8 | $17,234 for the degree, median |
Each program’s own page; bachelor’s tuition from IPEDS, 2023-24.
At the bachelor’s schools with a federal figure, the median six-year graduation rate is 61%. 6 of the 8 master’s programs state that the GMAT or GRE is not required or can be waived. The master’s programs run 30 to 33 credits.
What Studying Logistics Costs
Schools don’t price a logistics major apart from the rest of the business school, so a bachelor’s costs the school’s undergraduate tuition. At the 25 schools behind the logistics-named bachelor’s programs with an IPEDS figure, in-state tuition and fees run from $2,657 to $47,647 a year, a median of $10,084, for 2023-24.
A master’s is priced as a program. The 6 logistics-named master’s programs that state a whole-degree total run from $11,010 to $42,504. The most affordable online degrees list sorts the online options by price.
These are in-state rates. Out-of-state students at public universities pay more, and the ranking shows each school’s figure.
What A Logistics Program Teaches
The coursework follows the NCES list: acquisitions and purchasing, inventory control, storage and handling, just-in-time manufacturing, logistics planning and shipping and delivery management. A program named for logistics spends more of its major on freight, warehousing and distribution; one named for supply chain spends more on sourcing and planning. The course list on each program’s page shows where a given school puts the weight.
These are business degrees, so the logistics courses sit on top of a business core, and the accreditors that review them are business-school accreditors. The AACSB vs. ACBSP guide explains what each one checks.
The Logistics Certification: CLTD
After the degree, the logistics credential is ASCM’s CLTD, which covers 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. BLS lists no certification for entry into these occupations, so it is a choice rather than a requirement; it is ASCM’s one credential built around logistics rather than the whole supply chain.
| 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. |
|---|---|
| The 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. |
| Eligibility | None. ASCM sets no education or experience requirement; anyone can buy an authorization to test. |
| Cost | ASCM lists the exam at $1,100 for members with its certification upgrade and $1,530 for everyone else. |
| Keeping It | 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. |
ASCM, CLTD page, read 2026-09-23.
The certifications guide compares it with the other three.
FAQ
What Is Logistics In Simple Words?
Getting goods to the right place at the right time: moving them, storing them and planning both. The federal classification of college programs files it together with the wider supply chain field.
What Does A Logistics Job Pay?
BLS reports a median of $82,320 for logisticians and $52,260 for freight agents (May 2025). The managers who run logistics operations earn a median of $107,230.
Do You Need A Degree To Work In Logistics?
Not for every job. BLS lists a high school education as the typical entry education for freight agents and a bachelor's degree for logisticians. 75% of the logisticians O*NET surveyed said a new hire needs a bachelor’s degree.
Where Are The Most Logistics Jobs?
By count, California, Texas and Florida employ the most logisticians. The top five states hold 38% of the national total (BLS, May 2025).
Can You Study Logistics As A Major?
Yes, though few schools call it that. Of the 355 programs in the field that AACSB and ACBSP list, 26 name logistics. Most schools teach it inside a broader supply chain degree.
How Much Does It Cost To Study Logistics?
A bachelor’s costs the school’s undergraduate tuition: $2,657 to $47,647 a year in-state, a median of $10,084, at the 25 logistics-named programs’ schools with an IPEDS figure. The master’s programs that state a total run $11,010 to $42,504 for the whole degree.
How Is Logistics Different From Supply Chain?
Logistics is the movement and storage of goods. The wider supply chain field takes in logistics and adds buying, production planning and supplier management. The comparison guide covers the jobs and pay on each side.
Keep Reading
How To Become A Logistician
The core logistics job: the path in, the pay and the outlook.
Logistics vs. Supply Chain Management
Where one field ends and the other begins.
Online Logistics Degrees, Ranked
The programs you can finish online, on online tuition.
Sources
- 1 NCES, CIP 2020: 52.0203 Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management Read .
- 2 O*NET OnLine, 13-1081.00 Logisticians Read .
- 3 O*NET OnLine, 13-1081.02 Logistics Analysts Read .
- 4 O*NET OnLine, 43-5011.00 Cargo and Freight Agents Read .
- 5 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Logisticians (SOC 13-1081) Read .
- 6 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Cargo and Freight Agents (SOC 43-5011) Read .
- 7 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (SOC 11-3071) Read .
- 8 BLS Employment Projections, National Employment Matrix, 2025-35 Read .
- 9 BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (education and training for entry), 2025-35 Read .
- 10 BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.12 (factors affecting occupational utilization), 2025-35 Read .
- 11 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Logisticians Read .
- 12 AACSB, accredited supply chain programs Read .
- 13 ACBSP, accredited programs
- 14 NCES IPEDS, Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023_AY): undergraduate tuition and required fees Read .
- 15 NCES IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2023 (DRVGR2023): bachelor’s degree within six years Read .
- 16 Each program’s own page, for its name, formats and stated cost Bachelor’s read 2026-09-22, master’s 2026-09-22.
- 17 ASCM, CLTD (Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution) Read .