The signs of growth in the supply chain industry are everywhere, impacting nearly every product and service used around the world, from consumer goods and medical supplies to technology, transportation, and retail. Consider these projections:
The global warehouse market is projected to reach $1.73 trillion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. North America is currently the largest market, though the Asia-Pacific region is growing fast. The surge in warehousing is credited to “ecommerce expansion and increasing globalization and supply chain complexity,” the research group reports.
The supply chain is expected to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 11 percent through 2027, according to Zippia, with growth “driven by accelerated digitalization and a wider dependence on cross-border networks.”
An estimated 53% of companies were recruiting for new supply chain management roles in 2025. “This reflects a strong hiring effort to address skills shortages and enhance operational capabilities in an increasingly complex logistics environment,” Procurement Tactics reported.
The biggest short-term challenge? Labor shortages. As many as 62% of industry leaders were concerned about a lack of skilled supply chain workers, according to KPMG.
As global businesses hustle for a competitive advantage in technology, shipping, and manufacturing, this article will examine the careers those employers are prioritizing, why they’re targeting educated, degree-holding job applicants, and what skills you can develop to gain your own advantage in supply chain management.
What Is Supply Chain Management?
Everything that’s bought, from groceries to automobiles, is moved from its point of origin to the hands of a consumer. Supply chain management is the process of planning, sourcing, producing, and distributing those goods and services. Oversight of the supply chain includes:
- Managing the movement of raw components and products from suppliers (farms, mills, and material suppliers) to manufacturers, and then to consumers
- Overseeing demand forecasting, logistics, transportation, and inventory
- Developing and maintaining relationships with suppliers in order to secure the best deal
- Mastering data analysis, risk analysis, and other software tools that improve organization and efficiency while also reducing the possibility of disruption
With companies heavily investing in both technology and human labor, there are a number of opportunities for job seekers hoping to find a satisfying, sustainable career in the supply chain workforce.
Where Are Supply Chain Professionals Needed?
Before we examine some specific supply chain careers, here are some examples of where you’ll find opportunities:
- Raw materials suppliers: The path to your doorstep starts here, with farming and agricultural companies, mining, lumber, and steel suppliers, chemical plants, and textile mills.
- Manufacturing and production: These are places where goods are built or assembled, including automotive plants, food and beverage facilities, and electronics manufacturers.
- Warehousing and distribution: This industry is booming, and workers can be found in regional shipping hubs, distribution centers, and logistics warehouses.
- Transportation: Companies that move products, nationally and internationally, include railroad companies, air cargo operators, maritime shipping companies, trucking firms, and widely known freight carrier brands such as UPS, FedEx, and the United States Postal Service.
- Retail storefronts: These can be physical locations, such as Costco or Home Depot, and they can be online, such as Amazon. The storefront is often the last place for a product before it’s in the hands of the consumer.
What Are Some Supply Chain Management Careers?
Supply chain professionals can be found in nearly every industry, because nearly every company relies on the sourcing, production, and distribution of some product or service.
Here we break down three potential careers.
- Supply Chain Manager
As the job title suggests, supply chain managers are responsible for overseeing the lifecycle of how products are procured, produced, stored, and delivered.
What Does a Supply Chain Manager Do?
According to employment data firm O*Net, some responsibilities of a supply chain manager include:
- Managing supplier relationships, negotiations, and contracts; evaluating vendor performance
- Overseeing inventory, warehousing, and flow of materials; reducing waste and ensuring smooth movement of goods
- Coordinating transportation by selecting efficient routes, consolidating shipments, and improving distribution speed and cost
- Overseeing demand forecasting and cross-functional planning in collaboration with sales, finance, production, and quality teams
- Utilizing data, metrics, and technology to boost efficiency, compliance, and sustainability across operations
What Skills Are Needed to Be a Supply Chain Manager?
Successful supply chain managers, according to O*Net, bring a mix of technical and soft skills to the job. Among the most important things they must know:
Technical Skills
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft
- Supply chain software: SAP SCM, Oracle SCM, MRP/Logistics platforms
- Data analysis and reporting tools: SQL, Access, Crystal Reports
- Spreadsheet and modeling skills: Microsoft Excel
- Project management tools: Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio
Soft Skills
- Critical thinking and complex problem solving
- Judgment and decision-making
- Communication (speaking and active listening)
- Coordination and collaboration
- Time management
What Education Is Needed to Become a Supply Chain Manager?
O*Net found that 67% of employers require supply chain managers hold a bachelor’s degree; 19% require a master’s degree.
How Much Do Supply Chain Managers Make?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that tracks and reports employment data, classifies supply chain managers alongside under a category of job titles that includes:
- Distribution manager
- Shipping manager
- Logistics operations manager
Wages often vary between organizations and locations, however the BLS found that the median annual salary range for transportation, storage, and distribution managers was $61,200 – $180,590 in May 2024. The lowest 10% of workers earned less than $61,200, according to the agency, and the highest 10% earned more than $180,590.
What’s the Job Outlook for Supply Chain Managers?
Because of growth in the supply chain sector, the BLS projects hiring for this category to surge faster than average – 6% – through 2034. Here’s why roughly 18,500 openings are anticipated each year:
- Retirements and workers shifting into new roles
- E-commerce growth is driving demand for skilled managers to oversee logistics and complex inventory systems
- More consumers demand fast, reliable delivery, challenging companies to hire qualified, innovative managers
- Logistician
Logisticians oversee and streamline all stages of a product’s journey, including planning, acquiring, moving, allocating, delivering, and retiring materials or goods.
What Do Logisticians Do?
According to O*Net, logisticians analyze day-to-day operations to ensure resources flow efficiently throughout an organization. Some of their day-to-day responsibilities include:
- Directing the flow, availability, and allocation of materials, supplies, and products across the supply chain
- Optimizing logistics processes; redesigning the movement of goods to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase value
- Coordinating cross-functional operations and working with sales, production, and customer teams to meet requirements and resolve shortages
- Analyzing logistics performance, tracking results against benchmarks, and reporting findings to internal teams and external partners
- Implementing logistics technologies and project management tools to enhance tracking, planning, and operational accuracy
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Logistician?
According to O*Net, logisticians bring a mix of technical and soft skills to the job. Some of the most important things they must know include:
Technical Skills
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems: SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics
- Data analysis and database tools: SQL, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server
- Spreadsheet and reporting tools: Microsoft Excel (In-Demand), PowerPoint for reporting
- Supply chain and logistics platforms: MRP systems, WMS (warehouse management systems), RedPrairie, RFID-based inventory tools
- Project management software: Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio
Soft Skills
- Critical thinking
- Complex problem solving
- Active listening
- Coordination
- Monitoring
What Education Is Needed to Be a Logistician?
O*Net found that 75% of employers require logisticians hold a bachelor’s degree.
How Much Do Logisticians Make
The median annual salary range for logisticians and similar occupations in the supply chain analyst category was $49,260-$132,110 in May 2024, according to the BLS. The agency classifies logisticians within a category of job titles that also includes:
- Supply Chain Analyst
- Logistics Analyst
- Material Supply Planner
- Transportation Analyst
What’s the Job Outlook for Logisticians?
Hiring for logisticians is surging, according to the BLS, which reports that employment in the category is projected to grow 17% – much faster than average – through 2034. The reasons for such hyper-charged growth include:
- Ecommerce is driving demand. Online holiday shopping, for example, is expected to cross $250 billion in the U.S. in 2025, a 5.3% year-over-year increase, according to Adobe Analytics.
- As logistics improve, so does efficiency. Organizations are competing to speed up the supply chain, and they’ll need educated, innovative logisticians to streamline processes and optimize operations.
- Timely delivery is now the priority, and companies rely on logisticians to coordinate transportation and fulfilment faster and with more accuracy.
- Production Planner
Materials, workflow, and scheduling – all of these responsibilities fall to production planners, who ensure that manufacturing of products stays on track.
What Does a Production Planner Do?
According to O*Net, some of the day-to-day responsibilities of a production planner include:
- Reviewing production schedules and material requirements to determine priorities, staffing needs, and allocation of resources
- Revising and adjusting production schedules to avoid delays, shortages, and changes in demand
- Coordinating the movement and delivery of materials or parts by working with suppliers, department supervisors, and internal teams.
- Monitoring progress and inspecting documents, materials, and products to ensure accuracy, completeness, and adherence to quality and production standards
- Compiling and reporting production data, including output, inventory levels, and delays, to inform decision-making and strategy
What Skills Do You Need to Be a Production Planner?
Production planners work with a number of software tools, but they also need to possess soft skills. Here are the most important skills you need for the job, according to O*Net.
Technical Skills
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems: SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics (core tools for scheduling, materials planning, and production workflows)
- Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) software: systems for tracking materials, production stages, and inventory needs
- Spreadsheet and data analysis tools: Microsoft Excel and similar tools for forecasting, costing, and performance tracking
- Database tools: SQL, Access, and similar platforms for retrieving and analyzing production data
- Project management and scheduling software: Microsoft Project and tools for planning timelines and coordinating production activities
Soft Skills
- Critical thinking
- Time management
- Active listening and communication
- Complex problem solving
- Coordination and monitoring
What Education Is Needed to Be a Production Planner?
Like other roles in the supply chain, O*Net reports that as many as 37% of employers require production planners to hold a bachelor’s degree.
What’s the Job Outlook for Production Planners?
The BLS does not report salary information for production planner roles, however, O*Net projects as many as 34,100 new openings for the position through 2034.
What Degree Do I Need to Work in Supply Chain Management?
As the supply chain industry becomes more reliant on technology and innovation, employers will be looking for job applicants with an academic background in logistics, operations management, and foundational business tactics. All of these skills can be earned with a Bachelor of Arts in Supply Chain Management.
What Will I Learn in a Supply Chain Management Degree Program?
A supply chain management degree will immerse you in the core components of the industry, including logistics, procurement, production planning, transportation, quality control, and warehouse operations. Upon graduation, you’ll be able to:
- Apply industry standard supply chain management principles that address business challenges in logistics, operations, and procurement
- Assess globalization’s impact on supply chains and develop skills to navigate international trade, cross border logistics, and global sourcing
- Evaluate supply chain models and design, aligned with current industry practices to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills
- Analyze how supply chain management can enhance organizational performance through operational efficiency, cost control, and value creation
- Utilize information technology tools to measure and improve supply chain performance, building skills in data analytics, ERP systems, and digital logistics platforms
- Integrate supply chain goals with corporate strategy, cultivating leadership and strategic planning skills
Summary: Supply Chain Management Careers: Salaries, Growth, and Opportunities
Surging growth in the supply chain industry is being driven by ecommerce, globalization, and a rising demand for efficient, innovative logistics systems. Companies across the manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and retail sectors are investing heavily in hiring skilled, educated workers for roles that include supply chain manager, distribution manager, shipping manager, logistics operations manager, logistician, material supply planner, transportation analyst, logistics analyst, and production planner. To fill these roles, employers are turning to applicants with bachelor’s degrees, and a supply chain management degree can help you develop the analytical, operational, and technical skills to thrive in this fast-growing field.