What is the salary and career path for a logistics manager?
Logistics managers are a close match to Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, SOC 11-3071, at an OEWS May 2025 median of $107,230 a year ($51.55 an hour), ranging from $65,120 at the 10th percentile to $194,900 at the 90th. BLS projects 6.1% growth over 2024–2034 with about 18,500 openings a year. Entry is normally a bachelor's degree plus five or more years in transportation, distribution or logistics coordination — BLS notes work experience in a related occupation is typically required. No licence applies to the manager personally, but where the employer runs its own trucks the role carries FMCSA obligations: driver qualification files under 49 CFR Part 391, hours-of-service compliance under Part 395, and a DOT drug and alcohol testing programme under Part 382.
- Logistics Managers earn a national median $107,230/yr ($51.55/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071); the top 10% clear $194,900.
- A bachelor's degree plus five or more years in transportation or distribution is the usual route; BLS emphasises related work experience for this management code.
- BLS projects 6.1% growth 2024–34 with about 18,500 openings a year across SOC 11-3071.
- Where the employer runs its own trucks, the manager owns FMCSA obligations under 49 CFR Parts 382, 391 and 395 — and the CSA scores that follow.
Career Path
How do you become a logistics manager?
Logistics coordinator or transportation analyst
Booking freight, auditing invoices and analysing lane cost; entry into this management code sits near the 10th percentile of $65,120.
Logistics manager
Owning carrier relationships, freight budget, on-time performance and warehouse-to-carrier flow, around the $107,230 national median for SOC 11-3071.
Senior or regional logistics manager
Multi-site transportation with contract negotiation and 3PL governance pays toward the 75th percentile of $146,770.
Director or VP of logistics
Network design, mode strategy and full logistics P&L accountability reaches the 90th percentile at $194,900.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays logistics managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071. National median: $107,230. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does logistics manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles logistics managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: logistics 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 logistics 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 (logistics 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 logistics managers need?
The Association for Supply Chain Management's credential covering transportation modes, warehouse and distribution management, global logistics and reverse logistics — the closest match to this role's scope. See all state licences →
The common entry education for this management code, though BLS emphasises related work experience as the typical requirement.
Where the employer runs commercial motor vehicles, the manager oversees driver qualification files (49 CFR Part 391), hours-of-service records (Part 395) and the drug and alcohol testing programme (Part 382).
Required for employees whose function affects the transportation safety of hazardous materials, including those directing shipping and carrier selection for regulated freight.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do logistics managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 11-3071
Salary Levers
How do logistics managers earn above the $107,230 BLS median?
Freight spend under management
Managers controlling large multi-mode budgets sit well above the $107,230 median; single-site transport roles sit nearer the $65,120 tenth percentile
Mode breadth
Adding parcel, LTL, truckload, intermodal and international ocean and air to the portfolio is a direct route to the $146,770 seventy-fifth percentile
Carrier negotiation results
Documented cost-per-unit reduction with service held is the evidence that drives promotion in this function
Network and P&L scope
Director-level responsibility for network design and logistics P&L is where the $194,900 top decile sits
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a logistics 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
Logistics Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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