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Job outlook for distribution analysts in the United States
Are distribution analyst jobs in demand?
Distribution analyst job and salary trends over time
Distribution analyst jobs over time
Distribution analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 917 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 870 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 855 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 804 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 752 | 0.00% |
Average distribution analyst salary over time
Distribution analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $70,299 | $33.80 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | $68,141 | $32.76 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $67,425 | $32.42 | --0.2% |
| 2023 | $67,543 | $32.47 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $66,827 | $32.13 | +0.7% |
Distribution analyst jobs by state
Most common states for distribution analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 293 | 42% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 950 | 11% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 624 | 10% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 101 | 10% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 586 | 9% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 465 | 8% |
| 7 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 859 | 7% |
| 8 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,106 | 6% |
| 9 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 677 | 6% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 592 | 6% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 513 | 6% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 388 | 6% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 362 | 6% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 209 | 6% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 193 | 6% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 87 | 6% |
| 17 | Alaska | 739,795 | 47 | 6% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 46 | 6% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 40 | 6% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 37 | 6% |
Most common cities for distribution analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novi | 2 | 3% | $80,489 |
| 2 | Elk Grove Village | 1 | 3% | $73,053 |
| 3 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $61,479 |
| 4 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $73,206 |
| 5 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $62,876 |
| 6 | Riverside | 1 | 0% | $67,169 |
Distribution Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of distribution analyst experts
UMass Lowell
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
University of Washington
University of Southern Maine
Western Kentucky University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ottawa University at Overland Park
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Drexel University
University of Wyoming
Wake Forest University
Michigan State University
Pennsylvania State University - Behrend, Erie PA
DePaul University
University of Oregon
University of Redlands
University of South Carolina
Saint Xavier University
University of San Francisco
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Obviously we are seeing a tremendous increase in AI and other digital technologies. These will become a more crucial skill set for many careers going forward. But I wouldn't downplay the role of what are traditionally seen as soft skills like empathy, communications, and judgment. Not only can these distinguish you from robots but from your human competitors as well.
What will help Distribution Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: If all you want is the highest potential starting salary, then you should aim for careers that offer them. But that is a shortsighted way to view things. For example, many careers that have tournament-like pay structures (think entertainment) often have very low starting salaries but the so-called winners enjoy outsized financial gains. If you are thinking about a more traditional career, I think it's important to make sure you are more valuable to your employer than they are to you. This means you have to market yourself, both to your current employer as well as to potential ones. Of course, this approach may not be for everyone and maximizing your salary potential is only one thing you should be considering when assessing job and career opportunities.
Fawen Zhang PhD
Professor of AudiologyUniversity of Cincinnati Clermont College
Communication Disorders Sciences And Services
What will help Distribution Analysts increase their earning potential?
Fawen Zhang PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Victor Menaldo: Interacting with AI and knowing how to best exploit it to get the most out of it: increase productivity and value added in whatever field one is in.
What will help Distribution Analysts increase their earning potential?
Victor Menaldo: Develop oral communication skills that allow you to speak in an articulate manner and organize your thoughts to signal your competence, knowledge, work ethic, and willingness to keep learning and improving.
Tove Rasmussen
LecturerUniversity of Southern Maine
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen advises graduates beginning their career in the field to...
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen believes that the skills that will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years are...
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Timothy Rich PhD: Social science research skills, including research design and quantitative analysis, have broad applications (e.g. local government, think tanks, campaigns, non-profits, business) and students need to be comfortable with data. Writing skills aren't being replaced by ChatGPT, and students need to learn how to write for different audiences and not just for the typical final paper. That means being able to explain complex events or data and synthesize information to someone who has little knowledge about the topic. Students tend to distrust group projects, but learning to work in groups is also a transferable skill and an important one even if working remotely.
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Timothy Rich PhD: Think about the types of jobs that interest you and the skills necessary for those jobs early. So many students start thinking about post-graduation life spring their senior year, when it should be an incremental process much earlier. Another pieces of advice would be to talk to faculty and alum about your interests, find internship or research opportunities when possible, and try to figure out early your strengths and weaknesses. It's easy for students, especially high performing ones, to not fully consider what their weaknesses are. I encourage students to jot down what they see as their skills too and to share them with others. It helps them to identify what's a common skill versus something that might make them stick out.
What will help Distribution Analysts increase their earning potential?
Timothy Rich PhD: In social science fields, many of the highest paid jobs straight out are government related or data analysis related. Without developing research, writing, and in some cases foreign language skills, this will be a limitation. Depending on the desired job, a graduate degree may be required and students should be maximizing their exposure to graduate-style experiences as undergrads to not only get into prestigious law schools, master's programs, etc., but to take advantage of the internship and research opportunities that first year entrants are rarely equipped to handle.
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.
ProfessorJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Being able to negotiate a salary is also a skill that students need to learn and one that is rarely taught in college. Students need to be able to ask for more than they are offered, but also take jobs at entry levels, prove themselves and then ask for an increase in pay six months into the job after they have shown that they are doing the work and achieving their goals.
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: I would advise graduates to be open to considering jobs in lots of different fields. The skills acquired through their major- such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing- are ones that transfer well to a variety of situations.
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Russ McCullough PhD: Business Economics is a degree that can open many doors for careers. You can feel confident applying to positions that are open to many business degrees because economics gives you a quantitative edge over many other degrees. Therefore, I recommend that you create a vision of the type of job you see yourself at in 10 years and apply to positions now that help you build the skill set to get there. For example, if you are a good communicator, look for some more sales oriented positions. If you are more of a number cruncher, then look for more analyst oriented positions. Smaller companies will likely have more cross-training experiences available while large corporations will likely focus your skills in on a particular area.
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Dr. Paige Novak P.E. (Minnesota), BCEE: Ask questions, stay curious and open minded, take opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Stehr PhD: At the start of your career, it's very important to land a role where you learn a lot and find good mentors. The additional skills will pay dividends as your career progresses.
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lars Kotthoff: Anything and everything related to AI, but in particular being able to cut through the hype and being able to assess new technologies realistically.
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Dr. Mark Evans: Add value beyond what you are asked to do. Take ownership of your work. Volunteer for the most difficult jobs and clients.
What Distribution Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mark Evans: Don't stop learning. Treat your first job like more graduate school. Learn everything you can.
What's a good job out of college for Distribution Analysts?
Kelly Lynch: A good job is any position or opportunity that makes you - a recent graduate - happy. Some students are motivated by some factors and other students motivated by others. For example, it could be compensation, it could be geographic location, it could be upward mobility, it could be rotational programs, it could be finding an employer that aligns with your personal beliefs and values - or you may not want to go to a company - perhaps you want to start your own company, or go to law school, or ....?
What will help Distribution Analysts increase their earning potential?
Kelly Lynch: So many things:
-Good/exceptional grades
-Getting involved on campus - student clubs, becoming a mentor or tutor
-Taking leadership positions in clubs, fraternities, sororities, etc.
-Take advantage of experiential opportunities - internships, micro-internships, co-ops, on-campus employment, company tours and information sessions
-Community service - what can you do to make a difference in your "college town" and surrounding community - volunteer!
-Engage with faculty - classroom assistant, research assistant - help to advance knowledge among your peers
-Be confident in yourself
-Be organized - manage your time efficiently and you will do fine
Jason Hewitt Ph.D.
LecturerPennsylvania State University - Behrend, Erie PA
Project & Supply Chain Management
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Distribution Analyst job market given the pandemic?
Jason Hewitt Ph.D.: The biggest trend is a switch to online operations. Work that was forced online will most likely continue to be done there. Businesses that were forced to go online are learning there are cost advantages to keeping the work force remote. Second to that, is the need for businesses and individuals to be flexible and open to taking a different course of action at a moment's notice. Winners in the new economy will be virtual and flexible to changing their processes.
What experience really stands out on Distribution Analyst resumes?
Helen LaVan Ph.D.: This answer varies, depending on whether the graduate is an undergraduate or graduate. For undergraduates, ideally, there should be an internship and involvement in University activities.
Undergraduate students who must work while in college should strive for positions where they learn skills related to their chosen primary and work-readiness skills. Undergraduate students who work at the same employer during all four years of undergraduate school should strive for promotion within that one organization. For graduate students there should be involvement in community and professional associations.
The community activities should be related to the chosen career area. Gaps in employment are no longer as much of a problem as previously. There are published ways of dealing with gaps in resumes.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Distribution Analysts?
Helen LaVan Ph.D.: Some individuals may seek job-related opportunities, including promotions, because they hold incorrect beliefs about the job market's nature. For example, I recently reviewed options for our Master of Science in Human Resources (MSHR) graduates within the Chicago Metropolitan area. The number of posted opportunities surprised me.
This does not include, perhaps, even half of the options not posted on job posting boards, such as exclusively on employers' career pages or with external recruiters only. Individuals may have depression and will begin to self-medicate and will persist in these behaviors. Since more individuals will be working remotely, employers and coworkers who might have noticed these behaviors in the past will not see and refer them to resources.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Distribution Analysts in the next 3-5 years?
Benjamin Clark Ph.D.: There are two things on this front that I think will become more important and prevalent. The first one is the virtual meeting platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, etc. As people become more familiar with them, they've become less hesitant to use them. Will this eliminate all travel and face-to-face meetings in the long-run, nope. But they will make some of these interactions more comfortable and less costly. The second thing isn't so much a technology as it is an output of technology-data. Understanding, using, manipulating, and analyzing data will be one of the critical things is moving forward that comes from a wide range of technologies. I'm not even talking about AI, deep learning, or data science here-though those will likely become more important to administrators, too.
What type of skills will young Distribution Analysts need?
Jill Robinson Ph.D.: The entertainment industry employs graduates from various disciplines, such as theatre, music, law, art, and business. The rapidly changing, consumer-driven demand reinforces the idea that students may well hold jobs not even invented yet. Those wishing to pursue more performance-based careers must bring more than talent and big dreams. They need patience and perseverance, as it can take years to make enough money to survive in this field, leaving many to work elsewhere while trying to get their foot in the door. They must have a flexible mindset to deal with inconsistent income and schedules that can change at a moment's notice. That flexibility also extends to openness for continuous learning beyond college and throughout their careers. The ability to network is critical, so current students should look for internships and volunteer activities to access those in the industry. Joining professional associations and working in event planning are other routes to expand networking opportunities.
How do you envision technology impacting Distribution Analysts in the next 5 years?
Jill Robinson Ph.D.: Technological advances have driven change in the entertainment industry since it first began. We will continue to watch plays in person, but we will also manage content on all our devices. There will also be more changes in how practitioners do their work. They won't need to fly across the country for a meeting when they can meet online. In the past, I have been passed from Los Angeles to New York for a one-hour session. Moving forward, such expenses may no longer make sense. Organizations will need to use their resources wisely, where they will have the most significant impact.
Along with technology, the impact of COVID-19 is a mixed bag for the entertainment landscape. While Netflix has seen revenue increase, up 28% compared to the same time last year, Live Nation, which produces live entertainment, has seen the floor drop out, leaving them with a whopping 97% decrease in revenue, which puts their very survival at risk. Many in the industry believe---or at least hope---live entertainment will rebound and continue to draw crowds post-virus. The question is, when will fans feel comfortable returning to such venues? These factors suggest that what we have traditionally thought of as the entertainment industry could look very different in the next five years.
What general advice would you give to a Distribution Analyst?
Joel Stevenson: I would not enter the job market at this time. I would apply to the Masters of Human Resources Program at U of SC. If I could not get into the program, I would take an HR job and apply again to the Master's Program. Reason...with a Master's in HR, the starting salary is right at $85,000 per year. Cost and amount of time it takes to get your Master's, $25,000, and 15 months.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Distribution Analysts, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Joel Stevenson: Don't know of a better starting salary than the one mentioned above-a lot of room for advancement.
Dr. Faisal Rahman Ph.D.
Founding Dean & ProfessorSaint Xavier University
The Graham School of Management
What type of skills will young Distribution Analysts need?
Dr. Faisal Rahman Ph.D.: Graduates need to be extremely comfortable and competent in using technology in every aspect of their job. Also, they should have course work in data analytics. COVID-19 is reshaping every sector of the economy. Graduates need to understand the changing needs of the customers and employers and how to communicate with them.
Dr. Richard Greggory Johnson III
Department Chair & Professor Director, USF Institutional Review Board (IRB/Ethics) Social Equity Fulbright ScholarUniversity of San Francisco
Department of Public & Nonprofit Management
How do you envision technology impacting Distribution Analysts in the next 5 years?
Dr. Richard Greggory Johnson III: I teach a graduate course called Emerging Technologies, and there is no doubt that tech is here to stay, and graduates will have to be more adaptable to the changes tech will bring in the workplace.