Salaries for Logistics Managers

A significant portion of SCMR readers (and viewers of this blog) work in a logistics- related job.  That’s why we’re always eager to see the results of the annual Salary Survey conducted by Logistics Management magazine, one of our sister publications at Reed Business Information.

The results for 2008, as in past years, bring a treasure trove of information and for thought.  As LM Senior Editor Jeff Berman reports in his comprehensive analysis of the latest findings (see http://www.scmr.com/article/CA6544625.html), median salaries have plateaud at $80,000 for the past three years.  That’s pretty much the same story for annual raise, which have fell mainly in the 2 to 3 percent range in recent years.

Not surprisingly, the higher the job title, the greater your paycheck.  So vice presidents and general managers who responded to the survey averaged $134,000—more than twice that of folks with such titles as traffic manager or supervisor. What you did made a difference, too.  Respondents who identified their main responsibility as supply chain management, for example, averaged just over $100K.  That’s $35K better that people working in inventory control or import/export operations.

Nor is it surprising that education pays. Respondents with MBA significantly out earned those with just a college degree ($99,000 vs. $84,000). Men out earned women respondents, too, by about $19,000.  Eighty percent of the 1,200-plus respondents were male, by the way.

I’ve always felt that surveys like this one provide useful career directional signs. In other words, the numbers confirm that if you’re contemplating additional education, aggressively seeking broader responsibilities, or aiming to move up in the organizational hierarchy that’s a good thing form an earnings standpoint.

Again, read all about the survey at http://www.scmr.com/article/CA6544625.html

Question: Should SCMR conduct its own salary survey? Obviously, it would include logistics executives but would cover other job titles as well.  Comment on this blog to let us know.