How do I start a career in supply chain management?

To start a career in supply chain management, you need the right educational credentials and work experience. For example, most supply chain managers have at least a bachelor's degree, five years of supply chain experience, and another one to three years working as a supervisor.

How much do supply chain planners make?

Supply chain planners make $70,000 a year, on average ($34.54 an hour). However, there is some range in how much a supply chain planner can make, starting from as little as $52,000 to as much as $89,000 a year. Factors such as location and industry impact how much a supply chain planner can make.

How much does a senior supply chain planner make?

Senior supply chain planners make $90,258 a year, on average ($43 an hour). However, there is a large range in how much a supply chain planner can make - starting from as little as $50,500 to as much as $144,000 a year. Factors such as location and industry impact how much a supply chain planner can make.

What are the basic steps for supply chain planning?

The basic steps for supply chain planning include defining your plan, agreeing on an inventory strategy, optimizing the supply plan, managing time constraints, and being decisive. Supply chain planning is a multi-step process that requires the collaboration of many departments within a company. Supply chain planners involve sensing and analyzing the demand signal and, in turn, using this information to drive the supply chain activities of all the different tiers of suppliers.

What is a supply chain planner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Priya Nagaraj

A supply chain planner is an individual responsible for coordinating and managing the flow of goods, services, and information from suppliers to customers. They work with various departments to forecast demand, plan production schedules, and optimize inventory levels. A supply chain planner also identifies potential risks and develops contingency plans based on these risks. Overall,a supply chain planner plays a critical role in ensuring that products are delivered to customers in an efficient manner.

What general advice would you give to a supply chain planner?

Priya Nagaraj

Professor of Economics and Global Business, Website

Students should be able to analyze and interpret data. For instance, demand forecasting and predictive analytics are a large part of this industry today. As the number of regulations across nations increases, it is important to have at least some knowledge of foreign regulations. Cross-cultural knowledge and experience are always a plus in this area for prospective employees. People skills are also important along with knowledge of additional languages.

ScoreSupply Chain PlannerUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,668

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 8.97%

Black or African American 7.61%

Hispanic or Latino 12.76%

Unknown 4.70%

White 65.29%

Gender

female 45.02%

male 54.98%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a supply chain planner?

Pros

Opportunity to work with cross-functional teams
Exposure to various aspects of the supply chain
Challenging work that requires problem-solving skills
Opportunities for career growth and advancement
Competitive salary and benefits package

Cons

High-pressure work environment with tight deadlines
Requires long hours and occasional weekend work
Constant need to adapt to changes in the market and industry trends
Requires strong communication skills to manage relationships with suppliers, customers, and internal teams
May involve working with difficult or demanding stakeholders

Key steps to become a supply chain planner

Explore supply chain planner education requirements

Most common supply chain planner degrees

Bachelor's

72.5 %

Master's

13.6 %

Associate

10.4 %

Start to develop specific supply chain planner skills

Skills	Percentages
Supply Chain	16.91%
Customer Service	8.23%
Supply Chain Planning	6.73%
Logistics	6.71%
Continuous Improvement	5.47%

Complete relevant supply chain planner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New supply chain planners 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 supply chain planner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real supply chain planner resumes.

Research supply chain planner duties and responsibilities

Manage communication among freight forwarders, trucking companies, and warehouse representatives.
Manage the preparation and analysis of material forecasts, interpreting MRP output and negotiating purchases.
Maintain the accuracy of BOM, inventory and other product attributes as identified with SAP/MDM/Impulse (ERP systems).
Administer ERP data for manufacturing, shipping, materials and quality control; run variance reports and reconcile variances.

Prepare your supply chain planner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your supply chain planner 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 supply chain planner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable supply chain planner resume templates

Build a professional supply chain planner 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 supply chain planner resume.

Apply for supply chain planner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a supply chain planner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do supply chain planners rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Supply chain planner reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2022

Pros

Engagements with customers and understanding their needs, enabling business to stock what moves only

Cons

Dealing with customers when shipping lines have delayed their planned consignment

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

I am continuously working to develop my the communication and computer skills necessary listed in the job description job description. My formal education which is bachelors degree in philosophy and a minor in economics. I am currently furthering my education in the area of computer science.

Cons

I am working to improve my area of concern which is having limitations when managing employees.

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

KEEPING THE INVENTORY AND COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE

Cons

THERE ISN'T ANYTHING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT YET. BUT I WOULD LIKE MORE MONEY,

What is a supply chain planner and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a supply chain planner?

What are the pros and cons of being a supply chain planner?

Supply chain planner career paths

Key steps to become a supply chain planner

Explore supply chain planner education requirements

Most common supply chain planner degrees

Start to develop specific supply chain planner skills

Complete relevant supply chain planner training and internships

Research supply chain planner duties and responsibilities

Prepare your supply chain planner resume

Choose from 10+ customizable supply chain planner resume templates

Apply for supply chain planner jobs

How did you land your first supply chain planner job

Average supply chain planner salary

How do supply chain planners rate their job?

Supply chain planner reviews

Supply chain planner FAQs

How do I start a career in supply chain management?

How much do supply chain planners make?

How much does a senior supply chain planner make?

What are the basic steps for supply chain planning?

Search for supply chain planner jobs