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Career

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations. Includes logistics managers.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $107,230 Median per year · $51.55/hr Most earn $65,120–$194,900

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Interview, select, and train warehouse and supervisory personnel.
  • Analyze the financial impact of proposed logistics changes, such as routing, shipping modes, product volumes or mixes, or carriers.
  • Maintain metrics, reports, process documentation, customer service logs, or training or safety records.
  • Plan or implement energy saving changes to transportation services, such as reducing routes, optimizing capacities, employing alternate modes of transportation, or minimizing idling.
  • Develop or implement plans for facility modification or expansion, such as equipment purchase or changes in space allocation or structural design.
  • Collaborate with other departments to integrate logistics with business systems or processes, such as customer sales, order management, accounting, or shipping.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 18,300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Warehousing and storage8.9%
  • Truck transportation7.7%
  • Management of companies and enterprises7.2%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods6.4%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods3.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degree

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers usually aren't entry-level jobs. Most people first build a few years of hands-on experience in logistics or a related field, and our data doesn't give a typical total for this specific role. Your pay near you and nationally is on the career page.

  1. Bachelor's degree in logistics, supply chain management, business, or transportation

    4 years

    You learn how goods move through warehouses, freight networks, and suppliers, plus the math and data skills managers need. Internships during college can count as early experience.

  2. Logistician

    2-4 years

    You plan and analyze shipments, inventory, and delivery routes, and you learn how a distribution operation really runs. Good work here shows you can handle bigger responsibilities.

  3. Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager

    Varies; no typical figure in our data

    You lead teams and plan how transportation, warehousing, and distribution run, making sure they follow company policies and government rules.

Where it can lead

  1. Supply Chain Manager

    6-8 years of experience first

    You oversee the whole flow of goods, from suppliers through production to customers, rather than just transportation and storage. This usually means broader planning and more people to lead.

  2. Director of Logistics

    Varies; no typical figure in our data of experience first

    You set the strategy for an entire logistics or distribution network and manage several managers. Getting here usually takes a strong record of results and leadership across the organization.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and statistics classesStrong math helps with planning routes, costs, and inventory numbers, which are central to logistics work.
  • Take business, economics, or computer classesThese classes introduce how companies buy, sell, and move goods, and they help you practice using computers for work.
  • Get a part-time job at a store, warehouse, or delivery businessStocking, receiving, or helping with deliveries shows you how products move from one place to another.
  • Join a business club such as FBLA or DECA if your school has oneThese clubs build teamwork, presenting, and planning skills that managers use every day.
  • Volunteer at a food bank or community pantryMany food banks track donations and organize deliveries, giving you a real look at storage and distribution.

In college

  • Major in supply chain management, logistics, or businessThese majors cover transportation, warehousing, procurement, and operations, which match this career's core work.
  • Seek an internship at a shipping, freight, retail, or manufacturing companyReal experience with shipments and warehouses gives you skills employers look for and helps you qualify for logistician jobs after graduation.
  • Take courses in data analysis or learn Excel and database toolsManagers use data to cut costs and speed up deliveries, so these skills make you stand out.
  • Join a supply chain or business student organizationClubs offer networking, guest speakers from the industry, and chances to meet people who can refer you to jobs.
  • Consider a supply chain certification after you have some work experienceCertifications show employers you know the field's standard practices and can boost your career progress.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time or summer jobs at warehouses, stores, or delivery companies. Seeing how inventory and shipping work day to day is valuable for this career.
  • Build comfort with spreadsheets and data. Logistics managers spend a lot of time tracking costs, delivery times, and inventory.
  • Ask professionals you know, like a family friend who works in shipping or a store's stockroom manager, what their workday looks like. Their answers can help you decide if this path fits you.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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