10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Supply Chain Management

Supply chain professionals are essential across a wide range of industries. They keep things moving smoothly by managing supplier relationships and making sure products flow efficiently from start to finish.

Supply chain management careers include roles like quality manager, master scheduler, and logistician. These professionals play key roles, from ensuring manufacturers receive the raw materials they need to customers receiving their products on time.

In this guide, we list the 10 highest-paying jobs in this field to help you find a well-paying career path.

Facility managers oversee a building’s daily operations, including maintenance, equipment replacement, and safety compliance. They manage maintenance staff, coordinate implementation of security systems, and conduct safety inspections. Additionally, they manage contracts and handle budgets and contracts related to a facility’s upkeep.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for facilities managers is projected to grow by 5% from 2023 to 2033, which is slightly higher than the average projected job growth rate of 4% across all occupations.

Industrial production managers oversee manufacturing operations to ensure products meet quality standards and production timelines. While many work in offices within manufacturing plants, others work on factory production floors or even in laboratories. Regardless of the setting, they often manage operational activities related to the production of cars, food, machinery, and pharmaceuticals.

Employment for industrial production managers is projected to grow by 3% from 2023 to 2033, which is slightly slower than average projected rate across all occupations, per the BLS.

Logisticians analyze and manage the lifecycles of products. In this role, you’ll oversee supply chains to improve delivery time, maintain client satisfaction, and reduce costs. You’ll also have to maintain detailed cost and billing records. You may also lead teams of analysts who will study data to optimize processes.

The BLS projects employment for logisticians to grow by 19% from 2023 to 2033, which is nearly five times the average projected rate among all jobs.

As a master scheduler, you’ll be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing production schedules. You’ll collect and analyze project planning data, generate work orders and production schedules, and report on financial and legal factors that may affect timelines.

Additionally, you’ll monitor performance to identify and resolve issues that can disrupt production.

Materials managers oversee the flow of materials throughout the production cycle, from planning to the finished product. You’ll typically work in manufacturing or construction to manage purchase orders and plan production schedules.

This role is highly collaborative, so you’ll often work with engineers and designers to determine which materials are needed to fulfill manufacturing orders or complete construction projects. You’ll then handle purchasing and be responsible for maintaining inventory to ensure smooth operations.

Procurement managers lead their company’s purchasing department. They may oversee the purchase of anything, including office supplies, construction materials, and software licenses. Other responsibilities can include ensuring purchases align with the company’s budget.

They are also expected to hire and train procurement staff and develop, implement, and improve purchasing policies and processes.

Quality managers are responsible for overseeing quality assurance programs and ensuring they run efficiently. This involves analyzing quality control methods to identify improvement areas and developing new standards or procedures.

These professionals also collaborate with teams across departments to improve quality assessment techniques and maintain compliance with industry regulations.

Supply chain directors oversee every aspect of a company’s supply chain operations. In this role, you’ll source suppliers, manage inventory, and maintain strong relationships with vendors and partners.

You’ll also analyze inventory data to anticipate potential disruptions and implement cost-cutting strategies to improve efficiency and reduce waste.

As a supply chain manager, you’ll coordinate and oversee the supply chain. This role involves managing procurement, acquisitions, strategic planning, and data analysis.

You’ll need strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills, along with in-depth knowledge of areas like demand planning, quality control, distribution, inventory management, and logistics.

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers handle the transport and storage of goods. In this role, you’ll track transport vehicles — whether trucks, boats, trains, or planes — and manage storage facilities for these vehicles. Other responsibilities include collaborating with departments like accounting, human resources, and sales to ensure smooth logistical operations.

You’ll also be in charge of hiring and training staff, monitoring their activities, and ensuring compliance with transportation regulations.

According to the BLS, employment for transportation, storage, and distribution managers is projected to grow by 9% from 2023 to 2033, which is more than double the average projected rate among all jobs.

To identify the ideal supply chain management career for you, assess your strengths, interests, and career goals. Here are some factors to keep in mind to help you decide: