DC Velocity - May 2015

DC VELOCITY readers earned far more than the $72,780 per year reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012 (the most recent year for which statistics were available) for logisticians and supply chain analysts and coordinators.

Even better, our industry is brimming with new job opportunities for those in search of rewarding and challenging work. Logistics employers are forecast to expand their hiring by 22 percent over the coming decade—much faster than average for U.S. industry, the government says—adding an estimated 27,600 jobs to the 125,900 jobs existing in 2012.

PUTTING IN THE TIME

If you’re fortunate enough to get hired for one of those spots, be prepared to sweat for your paycheck. DCV readers report that they are working harder than ever, with 38 percent saying their work hours have increased over the previous three years. Only 7 percent said their work hours had decreased, and 55 percent said their workweek had stayed the same.

As for how that translates to hours per week, only 22 percent said they worked 45 hours or less during the average week. Another 69 percent said they typically worked 46 to 60 hours a week, including time spent working outside the office. And a no-doubt-exhausted 9 percent said they’re logging more than 60 hours a week in their jobs.

One possible reason for the long hours is that most of the respondents have more responsibilities than they did in the past. Sixty-four percent of the survey participants reported that the number of functions they manage has increased over the past three years. Another 32 percent said their responsibilities had stayed the same, and just 4 percent reported a decrease.

The more responsibilities on your plate, of course, the more people to manage. No surprise, then, that more than two-thirds (69 percent) of survey respondents said they have five or more direct reports, an increase of five percentage points over last year.

Another reason why logistics professionals may be so devoted to their work is that on average, 15 percent of their compensation is based on performance. Although 42 percent of you reported no performance tie-in to your paychecks, a full 16 percent said performance incentives accounted for between 21 and 50 percent of their compensation.

Which titles pay the most on average? Corporate officers
were at the top of the salary ladder. The average salary for
C-level respondents was $243,913—slightly higher than
the average salary of presidents, who at $222,533 were
better paid than vice presidents ($193,913) and directors
($128,144).

From there, it’s a big drop to the next levels. Managers made some $41,000 less than directors, and supervisors earned about $16,000 less than managers. Exhibit 1 shows the average salary for each title.