What is a supply chain specialist and how to become one

Q: 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.

Q: How much do supply chain specialists make?

Supply chain specialists make about $70,000 yearly or $33.70 hourly. As most jobs go, factors like location, industry, and experience can determine your exact salary. On the lower end of the salary range, they can make about $47,000 or less, typically for entry-level positions or for low-paying states like Oregon and Wyoming. On the higher end, they can earn about $103,000 or more.

Q: What degree do you need to be a supply chain specialist?

The degree you need to be a supply chain specialist is typically a bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management, or management. An associate's degree can also suffice, although this usually means employers will ask for more years of relevant experience to compensate for the lack of a bachelor's degree.

Q: What does a supply chain professional do?

A supply chain professional does tasks related to supervising supply operations like products and services. Overall, supply chain professionals, also referred to as supply chain specialists, coordinate various phases of the supply chain, from receiving orders and sending out shipments to billing and customer service.

Q: What qualifications do you need to work in supply chain management?

The qualifications you need to work in supply chain management are an educational foundation and several years of work experience. To become a supply chain manager usually requires, at minimum, a bachelor's degree. While bachelor's programs focus specifically on supply chain management, several other relevant majors exist in finance, business, or engineering.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Priya Nagaraj

A supply chain specialist manages and optimizes the flow of goods and services from suppliers to customers. They ensure the efficient and on time delivery of products at the lowest possible cost. A supply chain specialist may identify trends, create forecasts, and develop improvement strategies. They also collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to coordinate logistics, negotiate contracts, and manage inventory. A successful supply chain specialist possesses communication skills, analytical abilities, and industry expertise.

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

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 SpecialistUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $71,414

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 8.82%

Black or African American 7.46%

Hispanic or Latino 12.50%

Unknown 4.69%

White 65.87%

Gender

female 41.41%

male 58.59%

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

8.8

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 specialist?

Pros

High demand for supply chain specialists
Potential for career growth and advancement
Exposure to global business operations
Competitive salaries and benefits
Opportunities to travel

Cons

Long working hours and potential for frequent overtime
Potential for language barriers when working with global suppliers
Possibility of conflicting goals within the organization
Tedious data entry and analysis tasks
Need to stay up-to-date with industry developments and regulations.

Key steps to become a supply chain specialist

Explore supply chain specialist education requirements

Most common supply chain specialist degrees

Bachelor's

67.9 %

Associate

14.7 %

Master's

11.2 %

Start to develop specific supply chain specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Supply Chain	22.94%
Logistics	8.80%
Chain Management	6.77%
Customer Service	5.74%
Continuous Improvement	4.98%

Complete relevant supply chain specialist training and internships

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

Research supply chain specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage the phase in phase out process for NPI builds.
Code macros using VBA in order to automate repetitive tasks.
Manage supply operations including purchasing, financial reporting, inventory, organization, and logistics as required by various commands worldwide.
Create customized SQL queries for analysis and inventory management on a daily basis.

Prepare your supply chain specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your supply chain specialist 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 specialist 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 specialist resume templates

Build a professional supply chain specialist 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 specialist resume.

Apply for supply chain specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a supply chain specialist 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 specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Supply chain specialist reviews

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 Mar 2019

Pros

You fill the proceeds in your hand, every production depends of you. If you don't have the material you don't have anithing

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019

Cons

Constant stress, lack of respect from other departments, lack of resources, poor advancement opportunities.

What is a supply chain specialist and how to become one

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

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

Supply chain specialist career paths

Key steps to become a supply chain specialist

Explore supply chain specialist education requirements

Most common supply chain specialist degrees

Start to develop specific supply chain specialist skills

Complete relevant supply chain specialist training and internships

Research supply chain specialist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your supply chain specialist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable supply chain specialist resume templates

Apply for supply chain specialist jobs

How did you land your first supply chain specialist job

Average supply chain specialist salary

How do supply chain specialists rate their job?

Supply chain specialist reviews

Supply chain specialist FAQs

How do I start a career in supply chain management?

How much do supply chain specialists make?

What degree do you need to be a supply chain specialist?

What does a supply chain professional do?

What qualifications do you need to work in supply chain management?

Search for supply chain specialist jobs

Supply chain specialist jobs by state