Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between supply managers and supply chain specialists 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 manager and a supply chain specialist. Additionally, a supply manager has an average salary of $96,971, which is higher than the $71,414 average annual salary of a supply chain specialist.
The top three skills for a supply manager include supply chain, patients and supplier performance. The most important skills for a supply chain specialist are supply chain, logistics, and chain management.
| Supply Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $96,971 | $71,414 |
| Hourly rate | $46.62 | $34.33 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 30,833 | 25,129 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A supply manager or supply chain manager is an individual who supervises the import or creation of raw materials that are to be used by the company to form new products. Supply managers are required to coordinate all aspects of the supply chain to ensure that they are efficient and cost-effective. They must maintain low costs and high efficiency by building and maintaining relationships with the company's partners. Supply managers should also recruit staff members and provide training to help them learn and master their jobs.
It is the responsibility of the supply chain specialist to procure materials to manufacture and ship products. The supply chain specialist determines and orders the proper quantities and negotiates pricing and their shipment terms. They oversee the delivery of necessary materials for the fulfillment of orders made by customers. The specialists need to develop strong skills in project management, business ethics, problem-solving, understanding of financial statements, communication skills, and cost accounting skills.
Supply managers and supply chain specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Supply Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Average salary | $96,971 | $71,414 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $137,000 | Between $49,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | PVH | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a supply manager and a supply chain specialist in terms of educational background:
| Supply Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between supply managers' and supply chain specialists' demographics:
| Supply Manager | Supply Chain Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0% | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 7.5% 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% |