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The differences between shipping 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 shipping manager and a director of distribution. Additionally, a director of distribution has an average salary of $126,210, which is higher than the $52,003 average annual salary of a shipping manager.
The top three skills for a shipping manager include customer service, on-time delivery and logistics. The most important skills for a director of distribution are continuous improvement, project management, and distribution operations.
| Shipping Manager | Director Of Distribution | |
| Yearly salary | $52,003 | $126,210 |
| Hourly rate | $25.00 | $60.68 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 19,541 | 21,751 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A shipping manager is responsible for monitoring the shipment procedures of a distribution center, ensuring the quality and quantity of the merchandise before release to avoid delays and client conflicts. Shipping managers evaluate staff performance on their productivity in meeting timely deliveries and operational efficiency. They handle and track shipping activities through software tools and implement strategies for better optimization. A shipping manager also responds to clients' inquiries and concerns, resolving complaints immediately by conducting item replacements or payment refunds.
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.
Shipping managers and directors of distribution have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shipping Manager | Director Of Distribution | |
| Average salary | $52,003 | $126,210 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $73,000 | Between $88,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | Auburn, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Harvard University | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a shipping manager and a director of distribution in terms of educational background:
| Shipping Manager | Director Of Distribution | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between shipping managers' and directors of distribution' demographics:
| Shipping Manager | Director Of Distribution | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4% | Male, 85.2% Female, 14.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |