Salary guide, May 2025
Category Manager (Direct Materials) pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers in the United States was $107,230 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $82,440 and $146,770.
Broader occupation · SOC 11-3071 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
Category Manager (Direct Materials) is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $65,120 | $82,440 | $107,230 | $146,770 | $194,900 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $31.31 | $39.64 | $51.55 | $70.56 | $93.70 |
BLS estimated 221,180 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-3071 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $104,010 | $74,410 to $157,110 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $102,530 | $72,770 to $159,760 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $100,220 | $67,910 to $144,180 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $110,780 | $83,850 to $153,400 | 850 | 0.81 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $133,640 | $107,710 to $172,850 | 10,410 | 0.77 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $133,640 | $107,710 to $172,850 | 10,410 | 0.77 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $104,790 | $83,460 to $145,130 | 9,600 | 1.67 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $124,120 | $94,920 to $160,490 | 8,570 | 1.34 |
Rank every metro for Category Manager (Direct Materials)
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$160,620
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$148,380
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$147,200
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing$141,640
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$141,290
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$138,870
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$137,720
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$136,680
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$135,050
- Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing$134,790
- Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$132,600
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$131,510
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing$130,960
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing$129,490
- Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$128,690
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 29,990 | $91,600 | $117,660 | $155,760 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 4,260 | $89,080 | $106,550 | $134,650 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 4,160 | $93,110 | $121,050 | $162,170 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 3,200 | $94,520 | $126,790 | $167,470 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 3,070 | $100,650 | $131,510 | $162,160 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 2,610 | $103,030 | $137,720 | $176,870 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 2,460 | $94,400 | $127,080 | $165,200 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 2,190 | $82,850 | $103,430 | $129,390 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,830 | $96,040 | $129,490 | $164,910 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 1,750 | $83,990 | $105,790 | $136,020 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 1,650 | $103,290 | $135,050 | $173,270 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 1,610 | $87,320 | $117,840 | $149,000 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,530 | $84,800 | $106,450 | $136,510 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 1,270 | $95,940 | $115,790 | $152,450 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 1,210 | $103,930 | $136,680 | $172,550 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 1,200 | $116,130 | $138,870 | $169,250 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 1,110 | $111,270 | $141,640 | $178,370 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,100 | $87,490 | $122,160 | $158,270 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 1,070 | $88,050 | $123,800 | $158,560 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 1,060 | $85,810 | $111,420 | $142,230 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,000 | $91,830 | $113,840 | $141,980 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 980 | $93,190 | $118,630 | $145,620 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 900 | $82,870 | $99,260 | $128,900 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 860 | $105,850 | $148,380 | $211,510 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 770 | $95,440 | $118,740 | $150,670 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 740 | $75,700 | $98,670 | $126,220 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 740 | $75,700 | $98,670 | $126,220 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 720 | $82,890 | $103,130 | $130,780 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 690 | $88,700 | $100,400 | $122,480 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 660 | $95,730 | $119,420 | $155,170 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 630 | $90,030 | $105,330 | $129,700 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 610 | $93,300 | $115,500 | $149,480 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 570 | $84,490 | $103,180 | $132,090 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 570 | $95,200 | $125,580 | $154,830 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 570 | $95,200 | $125,580 | $154,830 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 560 | $87,420 | $107,890 | $134,590 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 560 | $91,940 | $103,970 | $124,950 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 460 | $98,500 | $127,570 | $170,940 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 440 | $60,480 | $91,450 | $122,820 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 430 | $71,360 | $96,710 | $119,790 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 430 | $71,360 | $96,710 | $119,790 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 430 | $95,510 | $110,580 | $136,880 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 420 | $77,660 | $96,240 | $129,210 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 380 | $109,690 | $147,200 | $176,080 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 360 | $75,260 | $94,650 | $110,510 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 360 | $121,380 | $160,620 | $212,630 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 350 | $80,300 | $96,470 | $128,090 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 300 | $80,000 | $101,310 | $137,590 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 300 | $48,480 | $80,430 | $98,400 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 280 | $94,480 | $130,960 | $160,250 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 270 | $90,420 | $109,850 | $133,390 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 270 | $101,670 | $141,290 | $187,800 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 270 | $93,100 | $99,430 | $160,610 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 250 | $80,520 | $97,510 | $136,430 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 230 | $75,970 | $89,960 | $139,380 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 220 | $74,830 | $101,190 | $124,090 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 220 | $84,130 | $102,770 | $137,620 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 210 | $97,930 | $134,790 | $188,870 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 210 | $68,430 | $105,650 | $118,750 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 210 | $99,650 | $132,600 | $176,180 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 190 | $76,860 | $93,200 | $140,780 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 160 | $112,520 | $124,760 | $153,240 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 150 | $68,680 | $88,720 | $124,650 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 150 | $78,940 | $89,650 | $100,750 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 140 | $93,220 | $112,200 | $134,550 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 140 | $93,610 | $108,580 | $132,620 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 130 | $80,340 | $98,250 | $108,450 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 130 | $94,620 | $104,250 | $121,470 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 120 | $84,990 | $104,010 | $144,710 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 110 | $99,510 | $120,830 | $147,570 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 100 | $103,680 | $123,990 | $162,680 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 90 | $86,250 | $96,490 | $118,950 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 80 | $70,020 | $85,250 | $124,950 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 80 | $89,560 | $116,360 | $142,350 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 80 | $94,920 | $112,770 | $135,520 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 80 | $66,350 | $90,640 | $106,680 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 70 | $80,820 | $101,550 | $121,490 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 70 | $59,570 | $111,660 | $163,970 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 70 | $105,790 | $128,690 | $137,650 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 60 | $78,940 | $89,970 | $100,530 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 60 | $100,380 | $126,430 | $155,990 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 60 | $74,560 | $78,850 | $137,240 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 50 | $75,580 | $103,720 | $126,920 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 50 | $62,150 | $97,050 | $118,770 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 40 | $45,640 | $101,370 | $105,860 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 40 | $59,860 | $83,120 | $95,990 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 40 | $103,590 | $126,050 | $211,010 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 30 | $86,450 | $96,610 | $142,390 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Category Manager (Direct Materials), separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $78,360 | $102,010 | $136,050 |
| May 2025 | $82,440 | $107,230 | $146,770 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around a direct-material category's supplier decisions and specifications. A practical discussion of a category plan connecting engineering requirements with supplier capability can test judgment without using confidential drawings or customer information. Those limits help establish direct-material ownership rather than general indirect purchasing; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Category Manager (Direct Materials)?
The median annual wage for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers in the United States was $107,230 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $82,440 and $146,770. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $65,120. 90% earned less than $194,900.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Category Manager (Direct Materials) at a plant?
Category Manager (Direct Materials) is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 221,180 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
VP of Supply Chain / Director of Supply Chain pay Supply Chain Manager pay Purchasing Manager pay Strategic Sourcing Manager pay Supplier Development Engineer pay Category Manager (Direct Materials) pay ranked across all metros Open jobs Category Manager (Direct Materials) recruiting Check an offer for this role
- VP of Supply Chain / Director of Supply Chain pay
- Supply Chain Manager pay
- Purchasing Manager pay
- Strategic Sourcing Manager pay
- Supplier Development Engineer pay
- Category Manager (Direct Materials) pay ranked across all metros
- Open jobs
- Category Manager (Direct Materials) recruiting
- Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Category Manager (Direct Materials) responsibilities fall under the SOC 11-3071 occupation of Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers. While this title is specific to direct materials, the BLS classifies it among broad logistics and distribution management. The national median salary for the occupation is $107,230, showing a $5,220 increase from May 2024.
These figures exclude variable pay such as bonuses and equity, which are often significant for direct materials professionals. Successful candidates in this role connect engineering requirements directly to supplier capability to ensure production continuity.
The middle band width of $64,330 suggests a wide variance in experience and organizational size. Looking at top employment hubs, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, reports a median of $127,500, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, records a median of $133,640. These metros show location quotients of 1.37 and 0.77. While these regions have many such professionals, the location quotient measures occupational clustering rather than candidate availability or the cost of sourcing a manager with specific direct-materials expertise.
Manufacturing Headhunters reviews industry-specific rows to provide better benchmarks for direct material procurement. Motor Vehicle Manufacturing reports a national median of $147,200. Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing follows at $148,380. Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing registers $160,620. All these figures are national in scope. The BLS does not parse out the difference between indirect material purchasing and the direct material management required in these capital-intensive sectors. Consequently, hiring managers should weigh the candidate's industry experience against these upper-tier national industry medians.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Are direct materials roles reflected in the Logistics Managers category?
Yes, the BLS maps these roles to SOC 11-3071. Because the classification includes general transportation and distribution, direct material roles often command pay at the higher end of the distribution.
How do industry-specific medians help?
They provide national pay benchmarks for specialized manufacturing sectors. These figures are generally higher than the occupation-wide median, reflecting the complexity of direct material procurement.
What is the importance of the P75 percentile?
The P75 percentile of $146,770 provides a reference point for more experienced management roles within the broad occupation. It helps distinguish between entry-level logistics oversight and professional category management.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4