What is the salary and career path for a supply chain manager?
Supply chain managers are counted under Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, SOC 11-3071 — a close but not exact match, since that code centres on physical distribution while many supply chain managers own planning and sourcing as well. 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, one of the widest spreads in the logistics family. BLS projects 6.1% growth over 2024–2034 with about 18,500 openings a year. There is no licence: the recognised credentials are ASCM's CPIM and CSCP, ISM's CPSM on the sourcing side, and CSCMP's SCPro, generally on top of a bachelor's degree and five or more years in planning, procurement or operations.
- Supply Chain 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 planning, buying or operations is the standard route; no licence exists, and ASCM CPIM/CSCP, ISM CPSM and CSCMP SCPro are the recognised credentials.
- BLS projects 6.1% growth 2024–34 with about 18,500 openings a year across the transportation, storage and distribution manager code.
- Pay is driven by scope and industry: single-function site roles near $65,120, end-to-end director scope at the $194,900 top decile.
Career Path
How do you become a supply chain manager?
Planner, buyer or supply chain analyst
Running MRP exceptions, purchase orders and inventory reports; entry roles in this family sit near the SOC 11-3071 10th percentile of $65,120.
Supply chain manager
Owning demand and supply planning, supplier performance and inventory targets for a site or product line, around the $107,230 national median.
Senior or regional supply chain manager
Multi-site or multi-category responsibility with S&OP ownership pays toward the 75th percentile of $146,770.
Director or VP of supply chain
End-to-end network, sourcing and logistics ownership with P&L accountability reaches the 90th percentile at $194,900.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays supply chain managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 11-3071. National median: $107,230. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does supply chain manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles supply chain managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: supply chain 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 supply chain 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 (supply chain 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 supply chain managers need?
The Association for Supply Chain Management's planning and inventory credential, covering forecasting, MRP, capacity and inventory policy; the default certification for internal supply chain roles. See all state licences →
End-to-end coverage from supplier to customer, including network design, logistics and risk; usually taken by managers with several years of experience rather than as an entry credential.
The Institute for Supply Management's credential for the sourcing and supplier-management side — contracting, negotiation, category strategy and supplier risk.
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' tiered certification, assessed partly through applied project work rather than examination alone.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do supply chain managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 11-3071
Salary Levers
How do supply chain managers earn above the $107,230 BLS median?
Scope of the chain owned
Managers owning sourcing, planning and logistics together sit well above the $107,230 median; single-function site roles sit closer to the $65,120 tenth percentile
Industry
Pharmaceutical, semiconductor and aerospace supply chains pay materially above consumer distribution, and are where the $146,770 seventy-fifth percentile is common
Certification plus systems depth
CPIM or CSCP combined with credible SAP or Kinaxis capability is the most repeatable route past the median
P&L and network responsibility
Director and VP roles with end-to-end accountability are where the $194,900 top decile sits
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a supply chain 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
Supply Chain Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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