Financial Manager
Median wage · national
$166,570
Range: $125K – $220K
Employed
842K
Openings/yr
66K
Typically: bachelor's degree
BUSINESS
Transportation Managers
With a national median of $107,230 and +6.1% projected job growth through 2035, Transportation Managers offers both strong financial return and stable long-term demand.
About Transportation Managers
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a transportation managers: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Business Administration and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations. Includes logistics managers.
- Median Wage
- $107,230
- Employed Nationally
- 221K
- Openings / Year
- 18,300
- Entry Education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Job Zone
- Zone 4: Considerable Preparation
Also known as:
Aerial Planting and Cultivation Manager
Air Export Logistics Manager
Airport Manager
Ammunition Storage Superintendent
Auto Fleet Manager
How Much Do Transportation Managers Make?
Most transportation managers take home around $107,230 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $82,440 and $146,770, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$107,230
National Median (Annual)
Well above average for college graduates.
$82K–$147K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$82,440
Entry-level
$107,230
Median
$146,770
Experienced
The mean wage for this occupation is $121,600, above the median. A concentration of very high earners pulls the average up. The median is the better gauge of typical pay.
What Do Transportation Managers Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- Supervise the activities of workers engaged in receiving, storing, testing, and shipping products or materials.
- Plan, develop, or implement warehouse safety and security programs and activities.
- Inspect physical conditions of warehouses, vehicle fleets, or equipment and order testing, maintenance, repairs, or replacements.
- Plan, organize, or manage the work of subordinate staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements.
- Collaborate with other departments to integrate logistics with business systems or processes, such as customer sales, order management, accounting, or shipping.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Active Listening
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Judgment and Decision Making
Time Management
Who Thrives Here
E
Enterprising
Leadership, influence, and business acumen are rewarded here, where managing teams, driving decisions, or persuading others shapes career outcomes.
E
Enterprising
Leadership, influence, and business acumen are rewarded here, where managing teams, driving decisions, or persuading others shapes career outcomes.
C
Conventional
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
Where Do Transportation Managers Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
Moderate
Moderate pressure. Regular deadlines exist but are generally manageable with experience.
What Is the Job Outlook for Transportation Managers?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +6.1%, meaning it is growing at about the same pace as everything else, so expect steady demand. Around 18,300 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +6.1%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
About as fast as average.
18,300
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
221K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Transportation Managers professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $107,230 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 30,540 | $123,780 | +15.4% |
| 2 | Texas | 28,710 | $100,700 | -6.1% |
| 3 | Illinois | 11,030 | $120,250 | +12.1% |
| 4 | Ohio | 9,480 | $101,550 | -5.3% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 9,120 | $130,610 | +21.8% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a high school diploma or equivalent. The 4 programs below are the most common routes in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
The next most common path is a Business program and the colleges offering it, which suits a different kind of applicant.
Typical Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Job Zone
Zone 4: Considerable Preparation
These positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business Administration | 395,227 | $68,257 | 2,611 |
| 2 | Business | 57,204 | $68,407 | 933 |
| 3 | Public Administration | 15,867 | $65,093 | 496 |
| 4 | Air Transportation | 10,445 | $85,825 | 248 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Transportation Managers
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Coast Guard Academy New London, CT | 96 | — | — |
| 2 | United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO | 96 | — | — |
| 3 | United States Military Academy West Point, NY | 96 | — | — |
| 4 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY | 93 | $3,033 | $75,971 |
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 93 | $13,481 | $92,446 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Transportation Managers, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Transportation Managers pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Transportation Managers Pros & Cons
Strong earnings and growing demand make Transportation Managers a compelling path. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
PROS
- Very high median salary The national median of $107,230 places this career well above average for college graduates, with significant upside at the 75th percentile.
- Steady job outlook The BLS projects +6.1% growth through 2035, keeping pace with the national average. Demand is stable and annual openings remain consistent.
- High earning ceiling Top earners (75th percentile) reach $146,770 annually. Strong performers, specialists, and those in high-cost markets have significant upside beyond the median.
- Wide job market 221K professionals are employed in this field, large enough to offer geographic flexibility and multiple entry paths.
CONS
- Multi-year ramp before career-level pay This is a Job Zone 4 occupation, these positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles. Most workers in this field spend their first several years at entry-level pay well below the $107,230 median while building the experience employers require.
Transportation Managers Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Transportation Managers professionals earn?
Around $107,230 a year for the typical worker, well into the top quartile of US wages. The middle 50% of earners fall between $82,440 and $146,770. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Transportation Managers a good career?
Yes, the data is strong. Median pay of $107,230 with +6.1% projected growth through 2035 is a combination most fields cannot match. The real variable is early career: workers around the 25th percentile earn $82,440, so your first employer and location will shape your trajectory more than the national number suggests.
How long does it take to work as Transportation Managers?
Expect 4 years of undergraduate education followed by 2 or more years of field experience before most employers consider you qualified for career-level positions. A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Business Administration are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $107,230 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
What is the job outlook for Transportation Managers?
Employment is projected to change by +6.1% through 2035, about as fast as average compared with other occupations. Around 18,300 roles open each year once you count people retiring and moving on, which matters more to someone starting out than the growth rate does. 221K people do this job nationwide today, so it is an established field rather than a niche one. Source: BLS May 2025.
Why do Transportation Managers salaries vary so widely?
The $64,330 gap between the 25th ($82,440) and 75th ($146,770) percentile reflects how much employer type, industry, specialization, and geography affect pay. Entry-level roles and lower-demand markets cluster near the bottom; senior, specialized, or high-cost-metro positions push the top. In fields with this much spread, where you work and what you specialize in often matters more than years of experience.
What skills do Transportation Managers professionals need?
Mainly Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, and Time Management. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
-
10 Six-Figure Careers That Do Not Need a Bachelor's Degree
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
- No bachelor degree
- High paying careers
- Associate degree
- Trades
- Median wage
-
Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
- Graduate school
- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
- Career growth
- Median wage
- High-paying careers
- Job outlook
- Career change
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Colleges
Discover 3,811 verified US colleges and universities. Compare admissions, costs, outcomes, and earnings across every accredited institution nationwide.
Majors
Explore 38 fields of study spanning STEM, health, business, and the humanities. See earnings, top programs, and demand.
Programs
Browse 375 specific degree programs. See completion counts, earnings outcomes, and the colleges awarding the most graduates each year.
Careers
Look up 395 BLS occupations. Get median wages, growth projections, education requirements, and the majors leading to each career.