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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $102,010 in the US and is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.55 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include product life-cycle, corporate social responsibility, supply chain principles, product data management, supply chain management.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £47,504 a year for Managers in transport and distribution (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £38,009 to £63,027 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1241). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Supply Chain Managers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Economics and Accounting
- Customer and Personal Service
- Production and Processing
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Mathematics
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Develop procedures for coordination of supply chain management with other functional areas, such as sales, marketing, finance, production, or quality assurance.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Supply Chain Managers do?
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.
How much does Supply Chain Managers earn?
The median annual salary for Supply Chain Managers in the US is $102,010.
What is the job outlook for Supply Chain Managers?
The role is projected to grow 6% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 216,700 workers.
How do I become supply chain managers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Supply Chain Managers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include product life-cycle, corporate social responsibility, supply chain principles, product data management, supply chain management, supplier management. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Supply Chain Managers?
Our AI-durability model gives Supply Chain Managers a score of 0.55 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Supply Chain Managers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.