How to hire a logistics support specialist

How to hire a logistics support specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step logistics support specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a logistics support specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new logistics support specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a logistics support specialist do?

Post a logistics support specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the logistics support specialist you need to hire. Certain logistics support specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect logistics support specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents logistics support specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Logistics Support Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Logistics Support Specialist	Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain—the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer. They manage the entire life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is acquired, distributed, allocated, and delivered.	$12-22
   Demand Planner	A demand planner specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop forecast models that will help determine a supply chain's demands. They are also responsible for monitoring the inventory of products, maintaining knowledge and awareness on the latest trends, producing progress reports and presentations, establishing demand plans, and detecting any changes in the forecast, reporting them to management right away... Show more	$29-52
   Supply Chain Planner	The job of supply chain planners, or logisticians, is to plan, develop, and schedule project management tools in support of an organization's operations. They are responsible for managing and monitoring inventories, forecasting production and sales levels, and tracking response time and delivery performance... Show more	$27-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Logistics Support
   • Test Equipment
   • Technical Manuals
   • DOD
   • Data Entry
   • PowerPoint
   • ILS
   • DOT
   • Provisioning
   • Shipping Receiving
   • HR
   • Technical Support
   • Inventory Control
   • Inventory Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Experience decision-maker in high-pressure environments; efficiently manage vital decision points autonomously to ensure mission accomplishment in multiple combat deployments.
   • Provide inventory management for a DoD contractor supplying systems engineering and technical assistance.
   • General understanding with DOD and other logistical organizations.
   • Experience decision-maker in high-pressure environments; efficiently manage vital decision points autonomously to ensure mission accomplishment in multiple combat deployments.
   • Perform other duties as assigned regular, dependable attendance and punctuality

   More logistics support specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your logistics support specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A logistics support specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, logistics support specialists' average salary in tennessee is 41% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level logistics support specialists 41% less than senior-level logistics support specialists.
   • Certifications. A logistics support specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a logistics support specialist's salary.

   Average logistics support specialist salary

   $35,961yearly

   $17.29 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level logistics support specialist salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average logistics support specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$42,756	$21
   2	Michigan	$41,889	$20
   3	California	$41,620	$20
   4	Washington	$40,545	$19
   5	Virginia	$39,731	$19
   6	Colorado	$37,960	$18
   7	Massachusetts	$36,620	$18
   8	Minnesota	$36,437	$18
   9	Connecticut	$36,198	$17
   10	North Carolina	$35,877	$17
   11	Indiana	$35,104	$17
   12	Texas	$34,924	$17
   13	Ohio	$34,081	$16
   14	Missouri	$33,397	$16
   15	Illinois	$33,100	$16
   16	Georgia	$33,063	$16
   17	Florida	$32,222	$15
   18	South Carolina	$31,202	$15
   19	Alabama	$29,425	$14
   20	Tennessee	$28,747	$14

   Average logistics support specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DeWitt LLP Law Firm	$56,204	$27.02	2
   2	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$48,320	$23.23
   3	V-Soft Consulting	$47,514	$22.84
   4	General Dynamics	$45,675	$21.96	38
   5	Northrop Grumman	$44,184	$21.24	19
   6	Broadcom	$42,518	$20.44	13
   7	Raytheon Technologies	$42,393	$20.38	15
   8	Booz Allen Hamilton	$42,199	$20.29	23
   9	L3Harris	$41,908	$20.15	18
   10	Martin Midstream GP	$41,808	$20.10	2
   11	Trident Seafoods	$39,485	$18.98
   12	Pacific Architects and Engineers	$38,726	$18.62
   13	Wacker Chemie	$38,505	$18.51
   14	Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation	$38,113	$18.32	17
   15	Noblis	$37,428	$17.99	54
   16	Eurofins	$37,229	$17.90	6
   17	NextGen Federal Systems	$37,004	$17.79
   18	Leidos	$36,998	$17.79	52
   19	Nes Holdings	$36,972	$17.77
   20	Oxford Solutions	$36,728	$17.66

4. Writing a logistics support specialist job description

   A logistics support specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a logistics support specialist job description:

   Logistics support specialist job description example

   Are you ready to build what matters? Build More Than Machines. Build a Career.
   
   Caterpillar is looking for candidates that want to build a career. This is a rare opportunity to join the Caterpillar Athens team as a direct hire. Openings available on 2nd shift. Position includes a wage of $18.78/hour (includes 8% night shift premium), quarterly goal sharing program and a comprehensive benefit program that begins on Day 1. Employment includes a 2-week training program.
   
   Watch our video to see our Athens Team build top-of-the-line excavators and tractors.
   
   You will provide logistics support activities including the investigation of grief, analysis of parts and material workflow, and fulfillment of dealer kit requests, analyses on product workflow and development of logistics plans.
   
   In this role you may be expected to:
   Review supplier shipment histories vs. receiving transactions to identify potential sources of inventory discrepancies Maintain and monitor data for repeat errors and notify appropriate personnel of required actions to eliminate future occurrences Gather data on product and material workflow by analyzing and developing logistics plans that affect production, distribution, and inventory Work from a variety of source documents to verify part numbers, part locations and quantities Perform Line checker, Receiver and/or Floater functions Investigate and resolve receiving discrepancies appropriate personnel of results or required actions.Review aged open shipments and alerts, receiving personnel and material planners as appropriate to resolve or eliminate inventory discrepancies Ensure grief and receiving processes and procedures are updated and communicated
   
   Basic Qualifications:
   Must have Logistics/Warehouse experience Must have Intermediate proficiency (Basic skills/knowledge. Capable of functioning independently) in Microsoft Office applications
   
   Physical requirements (with or without reasonable accommodation):
   Willing and able to frequently lift and carry material weighing up to 35 pounds for intervals of 15 to 30 minutes Willing and able to work in an environment with frequently changing temperatures Willing and able to walk, squat and bend over for intervals of 15-30 minutes
   
   Top Candidates will also have:
   Intermediate proficiency in SAP software Forklift experience Inventory control experience An understanding of Logistics facility and Excavator/Tractor Product LineIntermediate proficiency in functional areas of logistics such as: Inventory Management, Customer Service, Manufacturing, Engineering, Purchasing, Storeroom Operations and TransportationExcellent written and oral communication Ability to lead a diverse group of people Good attendance, excellent customer service focus, and the ability to handle stress and often work at an urgent pace Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment Initiative, good analytical and organizational skill
   
   Additional information: Resumes are encouraged for all applicants. Failure to attach a resume may lead application to not be considered. This 2nd shift position includes a wage of $18.78/hour (includes 8% night shift premium), quarterly goal sharing program and a comprehensive benefit program that begins on Day 1.
   
   Shift Schedule:
   2nd shift: Monday-Thursday, 5 pm - 330 am
   
   Employee benefit details
   Our goal at Caterpillar is for you to have a rewarding career. Here you earn more than just an hourly wage, because we value your performance, we offer a total rewards package that provides day one benefits (medical, dental, vision, RX, and 401K) along with the potential of a quarterly bonus.
   Additional benefits include paid holidays and paid time off (prorated based upon hire date).
   
   Final details
   Please frequently check the email associated with your application, including the junk/spam folder, as this is the primary correspondence method. If you wish to know the status of your application - please use the candidate log-in on our career website as it will reflect any updates to your status.
   
   EEO/AA Employer. All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.
   
   Not ready to apply? Submit your information to our Talent Network here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right logistics support specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your logistics support specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit logistics support specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting logistics support specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new logistics support specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect logistics support specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new logistics support specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a logistics support specialist?