Distribution manager vs director of distribution

The differences between distribution managers and directors of distribution can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a distribution manager and a director of distribution. Additionally, a director of distribution has an average salary of $126,210, which is higher than the $89,264 average annual salary of a distribution manager.

The top three skills for a distribution manager include customer service, logistics and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a director of distribution are continuous improvement, project management, and distribution operations.

Distribution manager vs director of distribution overview

	Distribution Manager	Director Of Distribution
Yearly salary	$89,264	$126,210
Hourly rate	$42.92	$60.68
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,061	21,751
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a distribution manager do?

A distribution manager is responsible for managing the distribution of goods and services, ensuring the adequacy of merchandise in the storage, and monitoring the products' timely delivery to appropriate locations. Distribution managers process shipments and utilize software systems to track stock levels and order status, negotiate contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors, identify business opportunities to boost maximum productivity and performance, and develop supply strategies to minimize costs without compromising quality. A distribution manager must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage business performance by coordinating with different teams on achieving business goals and objectives.

What does a director of distribution do?

A distribution director spearheads and oversees an organization's distribution procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to coordinate with different departments to identify and understand the distribution needs, set goals and guidelines, manage budgets and schedules, delegate tasks among managers, develop strategies to optimize operations, and present reports to the executives and shareholders. They must also liaise with externals parties, building positive relationships with them. Moreover, a distribution director must lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals while monitoring the progress of operations.

Distribution manager vs director of distribution salary

Distribution managers and directors of distribution have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Distribution Manager	Director Of Distribution
Average salary	$89,264	$126,210
Salary range	Between $62,000 And $128,000	Between $88,000 And $179,000
Highest paying City	Redmond, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Levi Strauss & Co.	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between distribution manager and director of distribution education

There are a few differences between a distribution manager and a director of distribution in terms of educational background:

	Distribution Manager	Director Of Distribution
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Distribution manager vs director of distribution demographics

Here are the differences between distribution managers' and directors of distribution' demographics:

	Distribution Manager	Director Of Distribution
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%	Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between distribution manager and director of distribution duties and responsibilities

Distribution manager example responsibilities.

Manage all logistics including ocean and air imports, exports and domestic distribution via TL, LTL, and small parcel.
Compose and employ initial ISO procedures to attain certification.
Manage twenty-five team members during process of unloading trailers to include accurately processing and locating merchandise throughout warehouse with RF devices.
Earn FDA and GMP certification at a start-up distribution-base facility in five months.
Develop a training program that effectively trains employees in accordance with FDA guidelines.
Budget and target tracking to sales goals with direct account responsibility for OEM and price sensitive customers.

Director of distribution example responsibilities.

Manage a staff of 80 in many healthcare locations.
Lead the development of operational and transportation KPIs to cover cost, quality and service.
Manage logistics operations issues that include branch logistics plan implementation, warehouse and delivery personnel management, inventory management and security/safety/housekeeping.
Enhance and publish procedures for FDA product recall requirements.
Improve communications with foreign vendors to reduce and improve upon FDA holds.
Orchestrate selection, acquisition and implementation of agile ERP and WMS technologies.

Distribution manager vs director of distribution skills

Common distribution manager skills

Customer Service, 14%
Logistics, 10%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
OSHA, 5%
Operational Procedures, 4%
Distribution Operations, 4%

Common director of distribution skills

Continuous Improvement, 9%
Project Management, 7%
Distribution Operations, 6%
Distribution Centers, 5%
Direct Reports, 4%
Process Improvement, 4%

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Distribution Manager vs Director Of Distribution

Updated January 8, 2025

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