Supply Chain Managers

Supply chain managers will continue to be needed to manage and improve production processes. Competition for top jobs will be keen so those with a bachelor's degree in supply chain management and certification will have the best job prospects.

Employment in the manufacturing sector is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all careers through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Companies will be looking for ways to create leaner manufacturing processes, and supply chain managers with experience in this area will be in demand. Recent "reshoring" activities by manufacturers may create more job opportunities. Reshoring is when companies and workers that had been located overseas are relocated to the United States. "Domestic sourcing," in which manufacturing plants and businesses are built in lower cost areas of the United States, has also been growing recently, which may offer more jobs for industrial production managers.

Job opportunities in transportation and warehousing are expected to grow faster than average through 2033, according to the DOL. Job growth for supply chain managers may be tempered, however, by the increasing popularity of retaining third-party agents to provide supply assessments and product and market research.

The wholesale trade sector will offer opportunities for supply chain managers in the coming years. This sector is part of the supply chain of manufacturing, retail trade, and other sectors. Employment for logisticians and transportation, storage, and distribution managers is expected to grow much faster than average through 2033 (according to the DOL), and these professionals will be needed to help lowering costs and improve business operations.