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Logistics Careers: Job Duties, Employment and Salary Information
Learn about the education and preparation needed for a career in logistics. Get a quick view of the requirements as well as details about degree programs, training, job duties, and licensure to find out if this is the career for you.
Essential Information
Crucial to the supply chain of any business, logistics involves the timely delivery of freight and goods from one place to another, as well as the unloading and unpacking of this cargo. Logistics workers may perform duties including inventory control, pricing and ticketing, and merchandise assembly. Most work in private industry and government. Some jobs are administrative in nature, while others require physical work and even travel. The education required for jobs in logistics depends upon the occupation, with some positions calling for a high school diploma, and others requiring a college degree.
Job Duties
Logistics includes trucking, inventory tracking, merchandise delivery, and product storage and handling. Workers in this field could include:
Logistics workers may also be involved in assembling merchandise, ticketing, pricing, labeling, inventory tracking, customer service, filling orders, data entry, and more. Logistic managers may have additional responsibilities such as maintaining inventory, scheduling workers and deliveries, training employees, enforcing safety standards, and ordering merchandise.
Employment
The main employers of logistics personnel are private industries, including retail, as well as local, state, and federal government. Working conditions vary depending on the occupation. Truckers and some government workers travel often, while stockroom clerks report to the same location each day. Retail workers often have longer hours around holidays and special sales. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) listed retail/wholesale trade as the third largest employer of college graduates with a bachelor's degree in.
Most business administration degrees and programs include courses on inventory control and supply. There are specific programs that focus on logistics. Those include courses on budgeting, quality assurance, cost-effective transportation, and consumer trends.
Managers are usually required to have a college degree and some supervisory experience, although many managers have worked their way up from a logistics position.
Salary Information
Below are the median annual salaries earned by various types of logistics workers in, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov):
Logistic's as a career, should be more challenging in terms of safety, service, on time delivery, dealing with unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled labour etc.,
I also feel, one area where low cost automation and small improvements should be the order of the day.
More important is also to have contacts and communication to reach out to both customer as well as service providers for betterment of service.
agree with expert answers above
Is the art and science of the flow of goods, energy, information and other resources Kalmntjat service management and even humans from the production area to the consumption area. It is difficult or even impossible for any global trade or import / export or global raw material transport or products manufactured without the logistical support professional Transaction achievement. Logistics include: gathering information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material processing and packaging (Alsndqh) .hژa is my answer to my knowledge and my experience in the field of business
Hello Team,
Let’s start with the basics. Logisticians are in charge of a business or organization’s supply chain, so they generally work in supply chain management (SCM). Typical job duties include developing relationships with suppliers, insuring all materials are transported in a timely manner, understanding customer needs and finding ways to minimize the cost of moving goods and materials.
Do you like what you hear so far? If you think you’d make a top-notch logistician, here are some facts and expert insight you should hear before getting started.
1. Logistics jobs are growing faster than average
Logistics jobs are expected to grow 22 percent through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS). This is twice the 11 percent average growth rate of all other occupations, meaning it’s clear the future is bright in this industry!
A growing career is always good, but it’s especially good if you’re looking to break into the field as a logistician – this is a behind-the-scenes job that many new grads don’t know about, perhaps meaning less competition for you.
2. There aren’t enough candidates to fill logistics positions
This behind-the-scenes career field is often overlooked by aspiring business professionals. Everyone knows about careers in marketing or finance, but careers in logistics tend to fly under the radar. As a result, employers and recruiters have trouble filling these positions.
In fact, the logistics business will be looking to fill roughly 1.4 million jobs by 2018, as stated in aFortune.com article. The increase in jobs combined with a shortage of qualified candidates means one thing – exciting opportunity for those willing to meet the requirements.
3. Education is an important first step
How can you qualify yourself to help fill the void? By getting educated! We used real-time job analysis software from Burning-Glass.com to examine nearly 54,000 logistics job postings from the past year.* The data revealed that 70 percent of employers prefer candidates to have a bachelor’s degree. The BLS also states that while an associate degree will qualify you for some positions, bachelor’s degrees are becoming more desirable due to the increased complexity of the field.
FACT: Logistics jobs are expected to increase 22% through 2022.
Motivation is another factor that helps logisticians catch the eye of their bosses, according to Rohit Sharma, a 12-year SCM veteran who now runs Perchingtree Inc. “Managers are always looking for the next leader within the ranks who is motivated, knows the nuances of the spectrum and is willing to develop vertical knowledge,” Sharma says.
4. Work locations can vary
Logisticians have a lot to do every day, but exactly where do they do it from? There’s no standard work setting, according Sharma. Logisticans can work anywhere from a factory setting to an office to a mobile location like a delivery or pickup center. This myriad of possibilities means it’s important to ask potential employers exactly what kind of environment in which you’ll be working, he advises.
5. It’s a high-pressure job
As a logistician, so many other people in SCM will depend on you. It’s your diligence and planning that will allow everyone else to do their job, but you may encounter sticky situations when the unexpected occurs.
“Logistics itself is a very challenging area within the SCM domain as most of the points of failure occur during logistics functions,” Sharma says. However, SCM is a field with many opportunities and logisticians who earn promotions often have a less stressful position, he says.
6. SCM understanding is crucial
Logistics is an important piece of the SCM puzzle, but it’s only one piece. Sharma says the most successful logisticians have a strong understanding of SCM as a whole.
“A lot of challenges occur as people working in individual parts do not know how the parts come together which also causes stress,” Sharma says. To combat this, he recommends exploring courses and training offered byAPICS, an organization for those in supply chain and operations management, to better understand SCM and the role a logistician plays.
7. It's been dubbed a “Best Business Job”
That’s right! U.S. News & World Report ranked logistician number six on their Best Business Jobs list and number 26 on their 100 Best Jobs list. Several factors contribute to these rankings, including median salary, job prospects and stress level. With recognition like this, it’s no wonder you’re interested in pursuing this profession.
Now you know …
Without all the facts, a career in logistics seems complicated. OK, even with the facts you know it’s a complicated job. But you also know it’s worth the hard work!
If you can take the good – like the career growth and job variety – with the bad – like possible stress – then this just might be the career for you. Take the first step towards a career in logistics by exploring Rasmussen College’s supply chain and logistics management degree.
Regards,
Saiyid
I see good scope in Logistics as a carrier path.
Business logistics is the planning process as well as the implementation of efficient and effective storage of raw materials, inventory, finished goods and services. It also refers to the flow and transportation of product from the warehouse to the consumer. Service organizations also value business logistics. Logisticians make certain that materials and information is provided at the time of service delivery. Hence we can conclude that Logistics is required for most of the business (product). Without proper logistic support supply chain management could not succeed.
Really I don't know ! leave the answer to the professionals in logistic management. Many thanks
