How To Become A Transportation Manager
Runs an organization’s transportation: the drivers, the fleet, the routes and the safety rules they operate under.
Transportation Manager Salary Data
Transportation Manager Salary: What The BLS Figures Show
BLS publishes no salary for the transportation manager title itself. The closest figure is the pay of transportation, storage and distribution managers working in truck transportation: a median of $98,800 a year across 17,860 jobs (May 2025).
By the Supply Chain Degree Programs editorial team Updated
- Median Pay, Transportation, Storage And Distribution Managers In Truck Transportation
- $98,800
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, by industry
The Pay Figures At A Glance
- In truck transportation, the median is $98,800. That industry is where this title works.
- The 10th to 90th percentiles there run $64,630 to $160,810. Across the whole occupation they run $65,120 to $194,900.
- Across every industry, the median is $107,230. The best-paying industry shown is rail transportation, at $128,280.
- Projected change through 2035: 6.1%. Annual openings: about 18,300.
How Much Does A Transportation Manager Make?
Among transportation, storage and distribution managers working in truck transportation, the second-largest industry for this occupation, half earn more than $98,800 a year and half earn less. The 10th percentile is $64,630 and the 90th is $160,810. That industry median is $8,430 below the occupation’s median across every industry, $107,230.
| Percentile | In This Industry | All Industries |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $64,630 | $65,120 |
| Median | $98,800 | $107,230 |
| 90th | $160,810 | $194,900 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific estimates, Truck Transportation; all-industries column from the national estimate. Read 2026-09-23.
Where The Transportation Manager Salary Figure Comes From
BLS counts transportation and fleet managers inside transportation, storage and distribution managers, the same occupation behind our supply chain manager pages, so the occupation-wide figures here are shared with them. The trucking figure below is this page’s own.
O*NET, the federal occupation database, lists transportation manager among the titles in this occupation, alongside distribution center manager, distribution manager, fleet manager, global transportation manager and logistics director. The supply chain manager salary page covers the whole occupation, and the supply chain manager and warehouse manager career guides use the same figures.
Transportation Manager Pay By Industry
These are the industries where transportation managers’ work happens, chosen for this page. Among them, transportation, storage and distribution managers earn the most in rail transportation ($128,280) and the least in elementary and secondary schools ($96,350), a spread of $31,930 at the median.
| Industry | Median | 10th To 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Transportation | $128,280 | $92,470 to $176,660 | 2,740 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | $124,600 | $65,890 to $207,630 | 2,440 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals | $122,880 | $72,330 to $180,080 | 7,830 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | $118,100 | $65,570 to $166,450 | 5,170 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement | $102,310 | $68,140 to $176,080 | 6,440 |
| Truck Transportation | $98,800 | $64,630 to $160,810 | 17,860 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $96,350 | $57,960 to $144,710 | 2,770 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific estimates. Each figure is the median for transportation, storage and distribution managers working in that industry. The industry list is this site’s selection for the title, not a BLS ranking. Read 2026-09-23.
How Transportation Manager Pay Compares With The Whole Occupation
Across every industry, transportation, storage and distribution managers earn a median of $107,230, with the middle half between $82,440 and $146,770, across 221,180 jobs. The supply chain manager salary page breaks that figure down by state, metro area, industry and employer type, and those tables apply to transportation managers as much as to anyone else in the occupation.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national. Read 2026-09-23.
Job Outlook For Transportation Managers
BLS projects the occupation, not the title: employment of transportation, storage and distribution managers is projected to grow 6.1% over 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 18,300 openings a year. The outlook section of the supply chain manager salary page splits those openings by source.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35. Read 2026-09-23.
Does A Degree Raise The Salary?
BLS reports what an occupation pays, not what a degree pays. The transportation manager career guide covers the education path and what employers ask for. For what a degree costs, see the rankings of bachelor’s in supply chain management, online supply chain management degrees and MBA in supply chain management.
FAQ
How Much Does A Transportation Manager Make?
BLS has no wage series for the title. Transportation, storage and distribution managers working in truck transportation, the second-largest industry for this occupation, earn a median of $98,800 a year (May 2025); across every industry the occupation's median is $107,230.
What Do The Top-Paid Transportation Managers Make?
Among transportation, storage and distribution managers in truck transportation, the 90th percentile is $160,810 a year, so one in ten earns more. Across the whole occupation it is $194,900.
Which Industry Pays Transportation Managers The Most?
Of the industries on this page, rail transportation pays transportation, storage and distribution managers the highest median, $128,280, across 2,740 jobs.
Is The Transportation Manager Job Market Growing?
BLS projects transportation, storage and distribution managers as a whole to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 18,300 openings a year. BLS projects the occupation, not the title.
Keep Reading
Supply Chain Manager Salary
Pay for all transportation, storage and distribution managers by state and metro area.
Warehouse Manager Salary
The same occupation, for warehouse managers.
All Supply Chain Salaries
Every occupation and title, side by side.
Sources
- 1 BLS OEWS, May 2025: national industry-specific estimates, SOC 11-3071 Read .
- 2 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (SOC 11-3071), national Read .
- 3 BLS Employment Projections, National Employment Matrix, 2025-35 Read .
- 4 O*NET OnLine, 11-3071.00 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Read .