Management · Holland code ECR

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, Supply Chain Director, Supply Chain Manager, Solution Design and Analysis Manager.

O*NET 11-3071.04

At a glance

US median annual pay: $107,230; Middle half earn $82,440 to $146,770. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Bachelor's Degree; 67% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 4 of 5; Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +6% · Faster than average; 216,700 jobs in 2024, projected 229,800. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Transportation, storage, and distribution managers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Listening4.0 / 5
Speaking4.0 / 5
Monitoring4.0 / 5
Writing3.9 / 5
Critical Thinking3.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Transportation4.5 / 5
Administration and Management4.3 / 5
English Language4.0 / 5
Economics and Accounting3.8 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.8 / 5
Production and Processing3.8 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic40
Investigative24
Artistic0
Social17
Enterprising87
Conventional71

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

logistics and distribution manager · DE Logistik- und Vertriebsmanager/Logistik- und Vertriebsmanagerin · FR responsable logistique et distribution
distribution manager · DE Vertriebsleiter/Vertriebsleiterin · FR responsable de la logistique distribution
electronic and telecommunications equipment and parts distribution manager · DE Vertriebsleiter für Elektronik- und Telekommunikationsgeräte und -bauteile/Vertriebsleiterin für Elektronik- und Telekommunikationsgeräte und -bauteile · FR responsable de la logistique distribution d'équipements et composants électroniques et de télécommunications
hardware, plumbing and heating equipment and supplies distribution manager · DE Vertriebsleiter für Eisenwaren, Sanitär- und Heizungsanlagen/Vertriebsleiterin für Eisenwaren, Sanitär- und Heizungsanlagen · FR responsable de la logistique distribution d'articles de quincaillerie, fournitures pour plomberie et chauffage
live animals distribution manager · DE Vertriebsleiter für lebende Tiere/Vertriebsleiterin für lebende Tiere · FR responsable de la logistique distribution d'animaux vivants
machinery, industrial equipment, ships and aircraft distribution manager · DE Vertriebsleiter für Maschinen, Industrieanlagen, Schiffe und Luftfahrzeuge/Vertriebsleiterin für Maschinen, Industrieanlagen, Schiffe und Luftfahrzeuge · FR responsable de la logistique distribution de machines, équipements industriels, navires et aéronefs

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Purchasing managers and directors (1134)61,700 employed
Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport (1140)30,300 employed
Managers in logistics (1243)34,900 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Managers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Managers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€96,629
Italy	€96,052
Germany	€90,192
Austria	€82,936
Netherlands	€69,857
Sweden	€60,369
France	€58,740
Ireland	€55,854
Spain	€54,121
Portugal	€39,189
Poland	€19,596

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.89. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (11-3071).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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