Salary guide, May 2025
Transportation Manager 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
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 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 Transportation Manager
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 Transportation Manager, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. 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 the authority you are offering?
Settle transportation execution rather than ownership of the entire supply chain before outreach begins. We put the difference around transportation execution rather than ownership of the entire supply chain in front of you so the interview tests missing experience rather than assuming it is already there.
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 Transportation Manager?
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 Transportation Manager at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. 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?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The national median for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers is $107,230, according to May 2025 data. This role, which focuses on specific transportation execution, falls within the broader SOC 11-3071. The current median marks a $5,220 increase from the May 2024 median of $102,010. The total middle band width is $64,330, reflecting the wide scope of the job category.
Key national manufacturing industries indicate medians of $160,620 for Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing, $148,380 for Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing, and $147,200 for Motor Vehicle Manufacturing. These figures represent national averages across those specific industries and do not include performance-based bonuses, commissions, or equity compensation. The BLS data is limited in its ability to isolate specific transportation management roles from broader supply chain oversight.
Comparison regions highlight high employment density for this occupation. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim reports a $127,500 median with a $85,160 middle band width. New York-Newark-Jersey City lists a median of $133,640 and a middle band width of $65,140. The location quotient in these areas confirms a high volume of these roles. Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that these figures reflect an aggregated occupation rather than a specific subset. Consequently, these metrics provide a wide, inclusive look at the transportation management market rather than a niche specialty.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How do I reconcile these figures with specialized transportation roles?
The SOC 11-3071 is a high-level aggregate, meaning it includes diverse roles like dispatch, freight management, and distribution center oversight. You should use the middle band width as a range for potential variance in your specific sub-sector.
Why are the comparison metro wages higher than the national median?
These major metropolitan hubs possess significantly higher costs of living and a denser concentration of corporate logistics operations. This often correlates with higher local pay scales for distribution management positions.
What is the primary limitation of this BLS data?
The BLS classification is overly broad and does not distinguish between shift-based supervisors and higher-level transportation managers. It lacks the granularity to account for varying corporate titles.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4