Transportation Supervisor salary

The median pay for a transportation supervisor nationally is $62,890 a year — about $30.24 an hour. That figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for U.S. (2025). Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most transportation supervisors nationally earn between $43,360 a year and $96,150 a year — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $43,360 a year. A quarter of transportation supervisors earn below $50,070 a year, so the first year or two typically sits in that band.

The top 10% of transportation supervisors nationally earn about $96,150 a year or more, roughly 1.5× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — certifications, supervisory duties, specialised skills or premium shifts.

Transportation and warehouse supervisors run the people and flow of a distribution operation — shift staffing, throughput and safety. Day to day, that means run a warehouse or transport shift, schedule and develop staff, monitor throughput and service levels and enforce safety and equipment procedures.

The usual route is: (1) start in warehouse or driving work, (2) move to lead or trainer, (3) take a supervisor role, (4) progress to operations or site management. Employers typically look for warehouse or transport experience essential, forklift and equipment familiarity and shift work including nights and weekends.

Usually not. Most employers hire transportation supervisors without a specific licence, and train on the job.

Distribution keeps expanding and supervisors are almost always promoted internally, which makes this the realistic next step from the warehouse floor.