Logistics Supervisor Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Reading Time: 8 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Logistics Supervisor. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Logistics Supervisors.

Job Duties

Logistics supervisors may also be called supply chain managers. Their main responsibility is to oversee each of the steps involved in ensuring that a finished product is delivered to consumers. For instance, they may focus on the acquisition of raw materials, on manufacturing and processing, on storing products, on moving products between the retail site and the distribution center, or on customer service. These are all vital steps in the overall chain of logistics, ensuring that costs are brought down without compromising on quality.

On a day to day basis, logistics supervisors have a range of different duties. These include buying whatever raw materials are needed to ensure production can continue, creating an inventory of storage, bringing down storage and delivery costs with third parties, ensuring the workflow of production is efficient, and so on. They must, therefore, be highly organized and have strong planning skills, and they must be able to cope with high levels of stress. Additionally, they must be innovative thinkers that can come up with new ways to increase efficiency and save on costs.

In today’s manufacturing world, logistics supervisors are also heavily reliant on technology and computers. Hence, their role is also strongly on identifying new software processes that help increase the efficiency of the supply chain. Clearly, they have a high multi-faceted role.

Other job duties of logistics supervisors include:

  • Ensuring that all incoming and outgoing deliveries meet the relevant specifications, after which they can either be accepted or returned
  • Ensuring that the entire work area is safe and clean, and that it complies with relevant industry standards
  • Holding responsibility for the administration of shipping orders, work orders, and the inventory and stock
  • Ensuring that all distribution, loading, and unloading are handled safely
  • Scheduling the different workers in the warehouse

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 148,700 logisticians in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Manufacturing: 25%
  • Federal government: 20%
  • Professional, scientific, and technical services: 17%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 10%
  • Wholesale trade: 9%

How to Become

A logistics supervisor usually needs a specialized undergraduate degree in operations engineering, operations analysis, or a related field. It is common for organizations to look for those who have a graduate degree in business management, analysis, or related field. Furthermore, a logistics supervisor is usually expected to have at least three years’ work experience at middle management level.

Education Requirements

A logistics supervisor has to be able to manage the complexities of supply chains and logistics. As a result, a bachelor’s degree is usually the minimum requirement. Supply chain management, systems engineering, and business are common study subjects. During a bachelor’s degree, they will learn about system dynamics, database management, and operations. Furthermore, they can be exposed to common logistics software, such as RFID (radio-frequency identification).

There is no legal requirement for a logistics supervisor to become certified. However, certifications do demonstrate commitment to excellence and a broader knowledge. Hence, logistics supervisors may choose to become certified through the International Society of Logistics (SOLE) or through the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS). Work experience and education are required for these certifications. Other options are offered through the DUA (Defense Acquisition University), which is required for those who work as a logistics analyst for the Department of Defense.

Work experience is also vitally important. A logistics supervisor will need to have gained several years of experience in supply chains, logistics, and business. Some start in logistical support, as clerks or dispatchers, and many have a military background. Through work experience, these specialists get to know about supply chain and production processes.

Traits & Qualities

The most effective logistics supervisors have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Strong critical thinking skills
  • Great customer service skills
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Strong problem solving skills

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Logistics Supervisor was $52,796. This number is estimated from over 234,424 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $27.50 and monthly of $4,400.

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$17,000

$107,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Logistics Supervisor salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Alaska had the largest quoted salary of $60,845 while Washington had the smallest quoted salary of $25,881.

AlaskaIllinoisNorth CarolinaTennessee
CaliforniaIndianaNew HampshireTexas
ColoradoKentuckyNew JerseyVirginia
DCMarylandNew YorkWashington
FloridaMichiganOhio
GeorgiaMinnesotaOklahoma
HawaiiMissouriPennsylvania
Alaska$60,845Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army.

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$14,000

$152,000

Salary Distribution
California$51,959Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ordnance Brewing, U.S. Army, AppleOne, and At-Tech.

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$18,000

$102,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$52,829Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army.

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$14,000

$116,000

Salary Distribution
DC$56,015Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like ECI’s Family of Companies.

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$28,000

$85,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$51,000Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ascendo Resources.

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$20,000

$96,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$48,477Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army and Ryder.

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$19,000

$91,000

Salary Distribution
Hawaii$60,110Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army.

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$22,000

$116,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$57,555Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ryder.

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$21,000

$110,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$45,795Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ryder.

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$16,000

$90,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$47,307Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ryder and U.S. Army.

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$23,000

$79,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$52,371Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Metro Recruiting.

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$23,000

$94,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$55,943Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Crossfire, StaffLINK Consulting, Ryder, and Laurus Professional Staffing.

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$23,000

$102,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$52,136Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$23,000

$93,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri$50,933Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like AB InBev, Ryder, and Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc..

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$14,000

$118,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$52,369Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps.

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$14,000

$134,000

Salary Distribution
New Hampshire$32,313Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Wilson Employment Networks.

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$8.40

$25.35

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$57,181Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Aerotek.

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$28,000

$97,000

Salary Distribution
New York$51,252Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army, Canon Solutions America, CPS Recruitment, and Manpower.

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$19,000

$98,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$53,151Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like International Business Promotion, Inc., TOP GROUP, Activ8 Recruitment and Solutions, and iiicareer / Interesse International Inc..

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$27,000

$88,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$47,953Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army and Ryder.

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$16,000

$96,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$47,913Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Hire Authority, Goodwill Industries, and Aspire Staffing Partners.

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$17,000

$94,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$59,226Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Career Development Partners, The Job Jobber, fulltimeGiGS, and Ryder.

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$30,000

$95,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$52,614Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Halliburton, The Wickline Group, CEVA Logistics, and Ryder.

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$15,000

$112,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$52,585Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Navy and U.S. Army.

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$21,000

$98,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$25,881Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like U.S. Army and Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc..

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$7.25

$23.25

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Logistics Supervisor. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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