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Business & Finance

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$107,230

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$65k – $195k

Job outlook

+6% (faster than average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 2 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Supply Chain Managers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Supply Chain Managers Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Supply Chain Managers

    Entry / Junior

    $65,120

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Supply Chain Managers

    Established

    $107,230

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Supply Chain Managers

    Senior

    $151,065

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Business & Finance

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.