How To Become A Shipping Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a shipping manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Shipping managers are hired to oversee the shipping and receiving operations of a company. Primarily, they are to ensure that shipments arrive at their destinations on time and within budget. They coordinate incoming shipments and oversee the packaging of outgoing shipments, and negotiate transportation costs with carriers. Furthermore, they negotiate the price of shipment transportation with carriers. They process shipment documents and inspect completed orders. Also, they develop and implement shipping policies and procedures. Besides that, they supervise the employees of the shipping department.

Most shipping managers hold a bachelor's degree in logistics, supply chain management, or a related field. Applicants for this role must have more than five years of experience in the shipping industry. You must be proficient in electronic shipping software. Key skills include analytical, leadership, organization, time management, interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills. Shipping managers earn about $48,689 per year. This ranges between $32,000 and $75,000.

ScoreShipping ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,003

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 6.09%

Black or African American 11.09%

Hispanic or Latino 18.41%

Unknown 4.30%

White 59.69%

Gender

female 22.36%

male 77.64%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a shipping manager

Explore shipping manager education requirements

Most common shipping manager degrees

Bachelor's

41.6 %

High School Diploma

24.3 %

Associate

22.8 %

Start to develop specific shipping manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	14.12%
On-Time Delivery	9.41%
Logistics	8.81%
Shipping Receiving	6.11%
Inventory Control	5.88%

Complete relevant shipping manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New shipping managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a shipping manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real shipping manager resumes.

Research shipping manager duties and responsibilities

Lead KPI brainstorming team, establishing a collection system for information and ideas-generate viable marketing and product ideas to pursue.
Prepare and QC all shipments for shipping utilizing FedEx, USPS and DHL.
Coordinate freight forwarders and documentation for customs broker.
Coordinate with manufacturers, freight forwarders and transportation services to expedite orders.

Prepare your shipping manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shipping manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a shipping manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable shipping manager resume templates

Build a professional shipping manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your shipping manager resume.