What is the salary and career path for a distribution manager?
Distribution managers fall under Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, SOC 11-3071 — a broad code that also covers warehouse, logistics and transportation managers, so treat the figures as the family. The OEWS May 2025 median is $107,230 a year ($51.55 an hour), from $65,120 at the 10th percentile to $194,900 at the 90th, with multi-site and network roles holding the top decile. BLS projects 6.1% growth over 2024–2034 with about 18,500 openings a year. There is no licence; the job is reached through logistics and operations experience, and its focus — outbound flow, carrier cost and service levels across a distribution network — is what distinguishes it from a single-building warehouse manager.
- Distribution Managers earn a national median $107,230/yr ($51.55/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071); the top 10% clear $194,900.
- There is no licence; distribution management is reached through logistics and operations experience, though a bachelor's degree and ASCM certification increasingly gate the senior and director roles.
- BLS projects 6.1% growth 2024–34 with about 18,500 openings a year across SOC 11-3071; the top 10% clear $194,900.
- The role is distinguished from a warehouse manager by its focus on outbound flow, carrier cost and service levels across a network rather than one building — it lives in the TMS, not just the WMS.
Career Path
How do you become a distribution manager?
Distribution supervisor or analyst
Running a shift's outbound flow or analysing carrier and fill-rate data; entry into this code sits near the 10th percentile of $65,120.
Distribution manager
Owning outbound service levels, carrier cost and replenishment for a site or region, around the $107,230 national median for SOC 11-3071.
Senior distribution manager
Running distribution across multiple sites with full cost-to-serve accountability pays toward the 75th percentile of $146,770.
Director of distribution
Network-level responsibility for the distribution footprint, carrier contracts and service strategy reaches the 90th percentile of $194,900.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays distribution managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071. National median: $107,230. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does distribution manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles distribution managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: distribution managers rank 1 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +6.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly distribution managers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071 (distribution managers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do distribution managers need?
Increasingly expected for distribution manager roles and effectively required for the director track, though experience-based progression still occurs. See all state licences →
Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution — the ASCM credential most aligned to distribution and outbound transportation management.
Certified Supply Chain Professional, valued for distribution managers whose scope reaches into planning and the wider supply chain.
Common where the distribution manager still carries site safety responsibility across buildings.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do distribution managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 11-3071
Salary Levers
How do distribution managers earn above the $107,230 BLS median?
Scope beyond one site
Multi-site and regional distribution responsibility is what reaches the $146,770–$194,900 upper band; single-site roles sit nearer the median
Freight spend controlled
The size of the carrier budget a manager owns, and the savings delivered on it, directly drive pay
Sector
Retail, pharmaceutical and e-commerce distribution pay above general storage, where managers cluster nearer the $65,120 tenth percentile
Service-level performance
A strong on-time-in-full and fill-rate record is what earns promotion into the director roles at the top of the code
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a distribution manager worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Distribution Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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