Logistician

Analyze and coordinate the ongoing logistical functions of a firm or organization. Responsible for the entire life cycle of a product, including acquisition, distribution, internal allocation, delivery, and final disposal of resources.

On the job, you would:

Direct availability and allocation of materials, supplies, and finished products.
Maintain and develop positive business relationships with a customer's key personnel involved in, or directly relevant to, a logistics activity.
Develop an understanding of customers' needs and take actions to ensure that such needs are met.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Logisticians need strong communication skills to collaborate with colleagues and do business with suppliers and customers.

Critical-thinking skills. Logisticians must develop, adjust, and carry out logistical plans. They often must find ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Customer service skills. Logisticians must know the needs of their customers in order to coordinate the movement of materials between suppliers and customers. They gain this knowledge through listening to the customer and applying their knowledge of the products and systems to provide what is required.

Organizational skills. Logisticians must be able to keep detailed records and simultaneously manage several projects in a fast-paced environment.

Problem-solving skills. Logisticians must handle unforeseen issues, such as delivery problems, and adjust plans as needed to resolve the issues.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		93%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		92%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		87%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		85%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		83%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		81%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		81%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		80%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		78%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		76%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		76%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		74%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		70%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		68%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		66%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
		62%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		100%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
		78%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		78%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
		72%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
		67%	Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
		67%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
		64%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
		56%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		75%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		75%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		75%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		75%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		75%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		75%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		75%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		72%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		72%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		66%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		66%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		63%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
		60%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
		53%	Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
		53%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
		53%	Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		66%	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
		61%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
		59%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
		59%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
		59%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
		57%	Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
		57%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
		57%	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
		55%	Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
		55%	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
		55%	Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
		54%	Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
		54%	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
		54%	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
		52%	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
		52%	Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Manage operations, research, or logistics projects.

Develop business relationships.

Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.

Collect data about customer needs.

Allocate physical resources within organizations.

Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.

Allocate physical resources within organizations.

Analyze logistics processes.

Develop business or financial information systems.

Supervise employees.

Report information to managers or other personnel.

Coordinate regulatory documentation activities.

Prepare proposal documents.

Present business-related information to audiences.

Prepare proposal documents.

Coordinate logistics or other business operations.

Advise others on analytical techniques.

Measure effectiveness of business strategies or practices.

Develop training materials.

Update professional knowledge.

Coordinate logistics or other business operations.

Supervise employees.

Develop financial or business plans.

Analyze business or financial data.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		100%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		98%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		90%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		90%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		89%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		86%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		77%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		76%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		75%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
		74%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		74%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		73%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		72%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		70%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		68%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		68%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		61%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		60%	Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
		58%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		58%	Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
		57%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
		52%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
		88%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		86%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		85%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		83%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		82%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		82%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		80%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		78%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		76%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		75%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		73%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		72%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		71%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		70%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		70%	Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
		69%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
		68%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		67%	Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
		67%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		67%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
		66%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
		66%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
		64%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
		64%	Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
		64%	Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
		64%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		63%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		63%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		61%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
		57%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
		56%	Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
		51%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

What Logisticians Do

Logisticians manage the life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is distributed and delivered.

Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain—the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer. They manage the entire life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is acquired, allocated, and delivered.

Duties

Logisticians typically do the following:

Manage a product’s life cycle from design to disposal
Direct the allocation of materials, supplies, and products
Develop business relationships with suppliers and clients
Understand clients’ needs and how to meet them
Review logistical functions and identify areas for improvement
Propose strategies to minimize the cost or time required to transport goods

Logisticians oversee activities that include purchasing, transportation, inventory, and warehousing. They may direct the movement of a range of goods, people, or supplies, from common consumer goods to military supplies and personnel.

Logisticians use software systems to plan and track the movement of products. They operate software programs designed specifically to manage logistical functions, such as procurement, inventory management, and other supply chain planning and management systems.

Work Environment

Logisticians held about 208,700 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of logisticians were as follows:

Manufacturing	24%
Federal government	17
Professional, scientific, and technical services	16
Management of companies and enterprises	10
Wholesale trade	10

Logisticians work in almost every industry. Some logisticians work in the logistical department of a company, and others work for firms that specialize in logistical work, such as freight-shipping companies.

The job can be stressful because logistical work is fast-paced. Logisticians must ensure that operations stay on schedule, and they must work quickly to solve any problems that arise. Some logisticians travel to manufacturing plants or distribution centers.

Work Schedules

The majority of logisticians work full time and they sometimes work overtime to ensure that operations stay on schedule.

Getting Started

Education:

75%

Bachelor's Degree

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

How to Become a Logistician

A bachelor’s degree is typically required for most positions, although an associate’s degree may be sufficient for some logistician jobs.

A bachelor’s degree is typically required for most positions, although an associate’s degree may be sufficient for some logistician jobs. In some cases, related work experience may substitute for education. Industry certification is helpful for jobseekers.

Education

Logisticians may qualify for some positions with an associate’s degree. However, due to complex logistics and supply chains, companies prefer to hire workers who have at least a bachelor’s degree. Logisticians typically have a bachelor's degree in logistics and supply chain management, business, or a related field.

Bachelor’s degree programs often include coursework in operations and database management, and system dynamics. In addition, most programs offer courses that train students on software and technologies commonly used by logisticians, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID).

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Although not required, certification can demonstrate professional competence and a broad knowledge of logistics. Logisticians can obtain certification through the Association for Supply Chain Management or the International Society of Logistics (SOLE). To become certified, a logistician typically needs to meet education and work experience requirements and pass an exam.

There are several certifications available from the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). These certifications are required for Department of Defense acquisitions.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Some employers allow applicants to substitute work experience in place of a specific degree. Previous work experience in a field related to logistics, supply chains, or business can be beneficial. Some gain work experience while working in a logistical support role, such as dispatchers and clerks or while serving in the military. Experience allows a worker to learn about production and supply chain processes.

Job Outlook

Employment of logisticians is projected to grow 18 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 21,800 openings for logisticians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

As the growth of e-commerce makes logistics more dynamic and complex, logisticians will be in demand to move products more efficiently, solve problems, and identify areas for improvement. The increased volume of inventory and need to manage multiple supply chains have made logisticians' work critical. In addition, as more goods are purchased online, timeliness of delivery remains a priority for companies, further increasing demand for these workers.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about logisticians, including certification, visit

Association for Supply Chain Management

Defense Acquisition University

International Society of Logistics

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of logisticians.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Cost Estimators	Cost estimators collect and analyze data in order to assess the time, money, materials, and labor required to make a product or provide a service.	Bachelor's degree	$71,200
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians	Industrial engineering technologists and technicians help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production.	Associate's degree	$61,210
Industrial Engineers	Industrial engineers devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	Bachelor's degree	$96,350
Industrial Production Managers	Industrial production managers oversee the operations of manufacturing and related plants.	Bachelor's degree	$107,560
Management Analysts	Management analysts recommend ways to improve an organization’s efficiency.	Bachelor's degree	$95,290
Operations Research Analysts	Operations research analysts use mathematics and logic to help solve complex issues.	Bachelor's degree	$85,720
Quality Control Inspectors	Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects or deviations from specifications.	High school diploma or equivalent	$43,900
Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations. Purchasing managers oversee the work of buyers and purchasing agents.	Bachelor's degree	$75,120
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners	Meeting, convention, and event planners arrange all aspects of events and professional gatherings.	Bachelor's degree	$52,560
Project Management Specialists	Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project.	Bachelor's degree	$95,370