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Career overview · SOC 11-3071

Supply Chain Managers

Direct or coordinate production, purchasing, warehousing, distribution, or financial forecasting services or activities to limit costs and improve accuracy, customer service, or safety. Examine existing procedures or opportunities for streamlining activities to meet product distribution needs. Direct the movement, storage, or processing of inventory.

Also called: Global Supply Chain Director · Material Requirements Planning Manager · Solution Design and Analysis Manager · Supply Chain Director · Supply Chain Manager

Median pay (national)
$102,010
$61,200–$180,590 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
213,000
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.1%
~18,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for supply chain managers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $180,590 versus $61,200 at the bottom 10% — 3.0x. The median of $102,010 leaves roughly 77% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.1% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 18,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Delaware pays the most for this role (median $150,590, +48% vs the national median), while Virgin Islands sits lowest at $47,840 — a 215% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Inventory management systems, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Monitoring
  • Writing
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Mathematics
  • Learning Strategies
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Determine appropriate equipment and staffing levels to load, unload, move, or store materials.
  • Manage activities related to strategic or tactical purchasing, material requirements planning, controlling inventory, warehousing, or receiving.
  • Select transportation routes to maximize economy by combining shipments or consolidating warehousing and distribution.
  • Define performance metrics for measurement, comparison, or evaluation of supply chain factors, such as product cost or quality.
  • Implement new or improved supply chain processes to improve efficiency or performance.
  • Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
  • Confer with supply chain planners to forecast demand or create supply plans that ensure availability of materials or products.
  • Analyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service.
  • Negotiate prices and terms with suppliers, vendors, or freight forwarders.
  • Analyze information about supplier performance or procurement program success.

Tools & technology

  • Inventory management systems
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • SAP software
  • Warehouse management system WMS
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Adexa Supply Chain Planning
  • Advanced business application programming ABAP
  • Aldata Warehouse Management
  • CDC Supply Chain

Knowledge areas

  • Transportation
  • Administration and Management
  • English Language
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Production and Processing
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Mathematics