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The differences between supply chain leads and supply chain directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a supply chain lead and a supply chain director. Additionally, a supply chain director has an average salary of $129,438, which is higher than the $101,348 average annual salary of a supply chain lead.
The top three skills for a supply chain lead include supply chain, project management and kpis. The most important skills for a supply chain director are supply chain, logistics, and chain operations.
| Supply Chain Lead | Supply Chain Director | |
| Yearly salary | $101,348 | $129,438 |
| Hourly rate | $48.73 | $62.23 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 34,069 | 37,396 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A supply chain lead specializes in overseeing the supply chain in a company, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are primarily responsible for managing schedules, monitoring supplies and logistics, addressing and resolving issues and concerns, and building positive relationships with vendors and suppliers. Supply chain leaders must also maintain quality control and inventory, coordinate workers, and produce progress reports for supervisors and high-ranking personnel. Furthermore, it is essential to lead and encourage staff, all while implementing the policies and standards of the company.
A supply chain director is primarily in charge of the overall supply chain operations in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to improve processes, creating business plans and sales forecasts, delegating tasks, coordinating and selecting suppliers and vendors, creating new supply chain policies when necessary, and spearheading the inventory and delivery processes. There are also instances when a supply chain director must report to higher-ranking officials, produce progress reports, and craft presentations. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to lead the workforce while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Supply chain leads and supply chain directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Chain Lead | Supply Chain Director | |
| Average salary | $101,348 | $129,438 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $136,000 | Between $90,000 And $185,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Chewy |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a supply chain lead and a supply chain director in terms of educational background:
| Supply Chain Lead | Supply Chain Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between supply chain leads' and supply chain directors' demographics:
| Supply Chain Lead | Supply Chain Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |