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Supply Chain Management

Types of Degrees Supply Chain Management Majors Are Earning

Those studying Supply Chain Management can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	292
Associate’s Degree	797
Bachelor’s Degree	6,724
Master’s Degree	3,040
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Supply Chain Management Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Supply Chain Management build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Supply Chain Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Supply Chain Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Supply Chain Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Supply Chain Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Supply Chain Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Supply Chain Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Minitab	Analytical or scientific software	—
Warehouse management system WMS	Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Supply Chain Management graduates include:

• Logistics Specialist
• Plant Manager
• Industrial Production Manager
• Acquisition Analyst
• Demand Planner
• Supply Chain Planner
• Supply Management Specialist
• Inventory Analyst
• Supply Chain Specialist
• Materials Planner
• Plant Superintendent
• Production Control Manager
• Plant Operations Coordinator
• Transportation Analyst
• Supply Chain Systems Analyst

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Supply Chain Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.7%
Some college courses	11.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.5%
Postsecondary certificate	6.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.6%
Master’s degree	4.4%
Doctoral degree	3.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Post-doctoral training	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Supply Chain Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 64.4% of Supply Chain Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,867	35.6%
Men	6,998	64.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Supply Chain Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,816	53.5%
Asian	741	6.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1,615	14.9%
Black or African American	1,451	13.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	37	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	21	0.2%
Two or More Races	363	3.3%
Race Unknown	314	2.9%
International Students	507	4.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Supply Chain Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Supply Chain Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,537
4 years	$63,883
5 years	$71,749

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $71,749 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Supply Chain Management Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Supply Chain Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	45	14
Bachelor’s	40	28
Master’s	33	13
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Supply Chain Management Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Supply Chain Management graduates earn a median of $63,883 four years after completion — roughly 68% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations	402,942
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Accounting	58,956
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Organizational Leadership	15,674
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other	12,497
Operations Management and Supervision	12,273
Project Management	4,784
Accounting and Finance	3,502
Office Management and Supervision	3,126
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management	2,454
Retail Management	1,434

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.