Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

Median salary

$107,230

Average salary

$121,600

Employment

221,180

Projected growth

6.1% growth

Annual openings

18,500

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers Do

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

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: 5 years or more
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 1.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 4 of 5

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Transportationimportance 4.5/5
Administration and Managementimportance 4.1/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.5/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
Economics and Accountingimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.9/5
Telephone Conversations4.9/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Contact With Others4.6/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5
Frequency of Decision Making4.4/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Postmasters and Mail Superintendents99% skill match
General and Operations Managers98% skill match
Landscape Architects98% skill match
Residential Advisors98% skill match
Administrative Services Managers98% skill match
Conservation Scientists98% skill match
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling97% skill match
Architectural and Engineering Managers97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Coordinationimportance 3.8/5
Negotiationimportance 3.6/5
Instructingimportance 3.6/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.6/5
Time Managementimportance 3.6/5
Persuasionimportance 3.5/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

In-Demand Technologies

Warehouse management system WMS

Other Software Used

3PL Central
ABOL Manifest Systems
ALK Technologies FleetSuite
ALK Technologies PC*Miler
Airline global distribution systems GDS software
Aljex Inventory
Amber Road
Argos Software ABECAS Insight FMS

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Leadership Orientation
Integrity
Attention to Detail
Achievement Orientation
Initiative
Adaptability

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

EnterprisingHigh
ConventionalHigh
RealisticMedium
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

Specific Interests

A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.

Military Backgrounds That Lead Here

Military occupations commonly matched to this career, per the DMDC Military Crosswalk.

Transportation, General (88A)Army
Mobility Officer (882A)Army
Ammunition Warrant Officer (890A)Army
Airfield Operations (13M1)Air Force
Airfield Operations (13M3)Air Force
Airfield Operations (13M4)Air Force
Aerial Delivery Officer (0405)Marine Corps
Mobility Officer (0430)Marine Corps
Ground Supply Officer (3002)Marine Corps
Waterways Operations and Management (OAP13)Coast Guard

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where transportation, storage, and distribution managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Laredo, TX3.92× national avg
2Midland, MI3.72× national avg
3Anchorage, AK2.61× national avg
4Kenosha, WI2.50× national avg
5Oshkosh-Neenah, WI2.10× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

General and Operations ManagersLateral Move
Postmasters and Mail SuperintendentsLateral Move
Architectural and Engineering ManagersAdvancement
Administrative Services ManagersLateral Move

See the full career path from Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.