Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Also called: Distribution Center Manager, Fleet Manager, Logistics Operations Manager, Supply Chain Logistics ManagerPlan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations. Includes logistics managers.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 23 of its 30 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.1% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Transportation, storage, and distribution managers”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 33% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $118,320 | $91,120 to $149,540 | 1,250 |
| Alaska | $103,080 | $92,040 to $130,620 | not published |
| Arizona | $98,750 | $81,650 to $129,680 | 3,390 |
| Arkansas | $89,200 | $72,180 to $124,970 | 1,440 |
| California | $123,780 | $86,290 to $166,100 | 30,540 |
| Colorado | $132,610 | $102,490 to $167,200 | 2,310 |
| Connecticut | $114,210 | $82,870 to $149,660 | 2,410 |
| Delaware | $145,000 | $124,290 to $176,010 | 310 |
| District of Columbia | $132,180 | $105,750 to $189,950 | 610 |
| Florida | $101,570 | $70,990 to $149,310 | not published |
| Georgia | $123,330 | $94,240 to $164,650 | 6,700 |
| Guam | $83,360 | $62,940 to $108,370 | 150 |
| Hawaii | $101,480 | $82,940 to $130,800 | 830 |
| Idaho | $93,920 | $71,980 to $114,680 | 1,040 |
| Illinois | $120,250 | $91,940 to $156,020 | 11,030 |
| Indiana | $108,720 | $86,670 to $137,510 | 4,190 |
| Iowa | $99,010 | $79,630 to $128,180 | 1,850 |
| Kansas | $106,130 | $92,160 to $133,170 | 1,150 |
| Kentucky | $100,340 | $73,900 to $131,510 | 2,340 |
| Louisiana | $93,650 | $71,420 to $120,010 | 2,840 |
| Maine | $102,110 | $85,500 to $130,340 | 370 |
| Maryland | $105,180 | $84,990 to $137,470 | 3,550 |
| Massachusetts | $123,830 | $94,990 to $169,740 | 4,310 |
| Michigan | $99,100 | $77,100 to $128,990 | 8,180 |
| Minnesota | $118,180 | $91,420 to $156,030 | 4,030 |
| Mississippi | $85,770 | $64,810 to $114,280 | 2,410 |
| Missouri | $102,870 | $76,750 to $142,420 | 3,650 |
| Montana | $108,180 | $88,440 to $130,510 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $97,380 | $76,930 to $117,250 | 1,420 |
| Nevada | $99,860 | $80,370 to $122,990 | 2,250 |
| New Hampshire | $129,470 | $102,230 to $161,660 | 530 |
| New Jersey | $130,610 | $105,080 to $169,390 | 9,120 |
| New Mexico | $101,420 | $82,320 to $120,890 | 660 |
| New York | $127,180 | $99,080 to $163,210 | 6,740 |
| North Carolina | $106,100 | $82,870 to $143,490 | 6,650 |
| North Dakota | $100,720 | $89,560 to $126,960 | 390 |
| Ohio | $101,550 | $77,830 to $130,860 | 9,480 |
| Oklahoma | $96,830 | $68,250 to $127,590 | 1,660 |
| Oregon | $103,520 | $83,200 to $135,330 | 2,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $105,240 | $81,600 to $139,110 | 8,540 |
| Puerto Rico | $83,560 | $59,710 to $128,420 | 820 |
| Rhode Island | $117,600 | $88,840 to $153,220 | 450 |
| South Carolina | $106,860 | $83,780 to $145,310 | 3,460 |
| South Dakota | $107,410 | $88,250 to $123,670 | 370 |
| Tennessee | $100,740 | $70,640 to $139,740 | 4,910 |
| Texas | $100,700 | $79,390 to $135,960 | 28,710 |
| Utah | $102,180 | $80,580 to $131,200 | 3,010 |
| Vermont | $101,850 | $88,910 to $131,510 | 390 |
| Virgin Islands | $56,390 | $43,260 to $88,410 | 40 |
| Virginia | $119,140 | $93,570 to $157,250 | 3,380 |
| Washington | $136,500 | $106,090 to $166,730 | 2,490 |
| West Virginia | $98,230 | $62,520 to $120,010 | 530 |
| Wisconsin | $95,900 | $74,660 to $128,390 | 5,410 |
| Wyoming | $112,310 | $92,270 to $134,960 | 130 |
Nationally: $107,230. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 23 of its 30 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Supervise the activities of workers engaged in receiving, storing, testing, and shipping products or materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect physical conditions of warehouses, vehicle fleets, or equipment and order testing, maintenance, repairs, or replacements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan, organize, or manage the work of subordinate staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan, develop, or implement warehouse safety and security programs and activities. | Not published |
| AI alone | Collaborate with other departments to integrate logistics with business systems or processes, such as customer sales, order management, accounting, or shipping. | Not published |
| AI + software | Analyze all aspects of corporate logistics to determine the most cost-effective or efficient means of transporting products or supplies. | under 0.01% |
See all 30 tasks
| AI alone | Resolve problems concerning transportation, logistics systems, imports or exports, or customer issues. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Establish or monitor specific supply chain-based performance measurement systems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Analyze the financial impact of proposed logistics changes, such as routing, shipping modes, product volumes or mixes, or carriers. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Interview, select, and train warehouse and supervisory personnel. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare and manage departmental budgets. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop and document standard and emergency operating procedures for receiving, handling, storing, shipping, or salvaging products or materials. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with department heads to coordinate warehouse activities, such as production, sales, records control, or purchasing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Implement specific customer requirements, such as internal reporting or customized transportation metrics. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain metrics, reports, process documentation, customer service logs, or training or safety records. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Monitor operations to ensure that staff members comply with administrative policies and procedures, safety rules, union contracts, environmental policies, or government regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor inventory levels of products or materials in warehouses. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Evaluate contractors or business partners for operational efficiency or safety or environmental performance records. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop or implement plans for facility modification or expansion, such as equipment purchase or changes in space allocation or structural design. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Negotiate with carriers, warehouse operators, or insurance company representatives for services and preferential rates. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare management recommendations, such as proposed fee and tariff increases or schedule changes. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Analyze expenditures and other financial information to develop plans, policies, or budgets for increasing profits or improving services. | 0.09% |
| AI + software | Monitor product import or export processes to ensure compliance with regulatory or legal requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Examine invoices and shipping manifests for conformity to tariff and customs regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan or implement energy saving changes to transportation services, such as reducing routes, optimizing capacities, employing alternate modes of transportation, or minimizing idling. | Not published |
| AI alone | Advise sales and billing departments of transportation charges for customers' accounts. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct inbound or outbound operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan or implement improvements to internal or external systems or processes. | 0.04% |
| AI + software | Recommend or authorize capital expenditures for acquisition of new equipment or property to increase efficiency and services. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review invoices, work orders, consumption reports, or demand forecasts to estimate peak performance periods and to issue work assignments. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. O*NET hasn't rated 4 of the tasks, so they come last, in O*NET's own order. 9 of the 30 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 30 tasks fall under 27 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #17 Implement procedures or processes
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implement procedures or processes | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Analyze business or financial data | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Analyze data to improve operations | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries |
Show all 27 activities
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Interview people to obtain information | |||
| Examine financial activities, operations, or systems | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Design structures or facilities | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Negotiate contracts or agreements | |||
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Develop contingency or emergency response plans | |||
| Develop sustainable organizational or business policies or practices | |||
| Authorize business activities or transactions |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report23%
- Data or a spreadsheet19%
- A plan or strategy15%
- An analysis or summary9%
- A chart or visualization7%
How they worked with Claude
74% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for transportation, storage, and distribution managers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 192,449 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 13%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 10%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 3%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
- 5 Sales Managers High +4.5% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 205,363 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 7%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 5%
- 4 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 5% less than high school
- 26% high school
- 26% some college
- 9% associate's
- 24% bachelor's
- 8% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,433 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
8 programs, such as Public Administration, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies and Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General.
See all
- Public Administration
- Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies
- Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General
- Aviation/Airway Management and Operations
- Business/Commerce, General
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management
- Transportation/Mobility Management
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
43.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 6.6% | 19.1% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Storage and Distribution Manager). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/11-3071.00