Transportation Manager Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Reading Time: 6 minutes

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

Job Duties

Transportation managers have overarching responsibility for everything that is transported in or out of the company. These include everything from receiving raw materials to shipping finished products, and also ensuring that employees are able to get to meetings and working out how much compensation should be allowed per mile traveled. Transportation managers play a pivotal role in organizations that want to lower the cost of their transportation, as well as in those that want to become more environmentally sustainable.

Besides focusing on logistics, transportation managers are also responsible for line managing other employees that are involved in transportation. They have various managerial roles, including providing employees with guidance, directly line managing them, and handling any disciplinary and conflict issues that may occur. Usually, they take on full time positions and work from an office, although they may be required to do overtime and to travel as part of their role.

Other job duties of the transportation manager include:

  • Managing the various shipping logistics, determining which routes are most efficient, according to which schedules people should drive, which vehicles to use, and who should drive them
  • Maintaining and analyzing data relating to shipping in order to find ways to increase efficiency
  • Developing and implementing safety and shipping policies and procedures, enforcing compliance with those and particularly with DOT regulations
  • Ensuring that transportation is done on time and within budget, while minimizing costs as much as possible.

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 148,700 logisticians in 2016, a profession closely related to that of a transportation manager. 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

It is generally expected for a transportation manager to have a bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to transportation, and preferably to the industry in which they work.

Education Requirements

Transportation managers have to be able to manage the complexities of supply chains and logistics. As a result, a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management or bachelors degree in logistics is usually the minimum requirement. Supply chain management, systems engineering, and business are common study subjects. During the 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 transportation to become certified. However, certifications do demonstrate commitment to excellence and a broader knowledge. Hence, transportation managers 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 are required for those who work as a transportation manager for the Department of Defense.fsu

Work experience is also vitally important. Transportation managers must have gained several years’ experience in supply chains, logistics, and business. Some start in logistical support, such 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 transportation managers 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 Transportation Manager was $93,639. This number is estimated from over 138,824 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $48.77 and monthly of $7,803.

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$22,000

$213,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Transportation Manager salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, California had the largest quoted salary of $112,845 while Delaware had the smallest quoted salary of $26,160.

AlabamaFloridaMinnesotaPennsylvania
ArizonaGeorgiaNorth CarolinaTexas
CaliforniaIllinoisNew YorkVirginia
ColoradoMassachusettsOhioWashington
DelawareMarylandOklahoma
Alabama$70,945Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Andalusia Distributing Company.

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$17,000

$160,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$80,888Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like MURPHY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT #21, Imagine Schools, and City of Mesa.

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$14,000

$209,000

Salary Distribution
California$112,845Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like JK Headhunting, Coachella Valley Unified, Palmdale School District, and City of Irvine.

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$38,000

$225,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$72,536Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Colorado.

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$14,000

$176,000

Salary Distribution
Delaware$26,160Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like SENTINEL TRANSPORTATION.

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$60.00

$200

Salary Distribution
Florida$92,234Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like DSJ Global and The SearchLogix Group.

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$24,000

$205,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$88,687Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

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$20,000

$205,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$94,867Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like GovHR USA.

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$19,000

$228,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$81,916Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like City of Newton, MA and Northern Essex Community College.

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$16,000

$199,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$88,292Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Crabtree & Eller and Baltimore County Public Schools.

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$26,000

$186,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$91,135Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like State of Minnesota.

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$22,000

$206,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$74,116Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like City Of Raleigh.

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$16,000

$174,000

Salary Distribution
New York$89,774Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like New York City Department of Education, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, The Chronicle of Higher Education Sub, and DSJ Global.

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$15,000

$230,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$109,324Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like PSG.

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$48,000

$194,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$58,586Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Central Oklahoma.

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$19,000

$119,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$97,265Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like SENTINEL TRANSPORTATION.

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$24,000

$218,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$89,473Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Bryan Independent School District, Mackenzie Stuart plc, and Texas Department of Transportation.

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$19,000

$211,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$88,538Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hampton City Schools and Arlington Public Schools.

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$22,000

$200,000

Salary Distribution
Washington$103,472Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Green River Community College, Federal Way Public Schools, and Tacoma Public Schools.

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$34,000

$208,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Transportation Manager. 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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