Supply chain work connects global corridors to everyday operations, where port activity, freight movements, and logistics costs determine performance. In the U.S., transportation and material-moving roles support a sector with millions of jobs—and pay expectations for key specialties. This page also tracks what’s changing in planning, with AI/ML adoption, digital tools, and RFID use, alongside cybersecurity and delivery risk pressures.
Key Takeaways
- The Gartner forecast for worldwide supply chain management software spending implies software spending of $37.1B in 2023 (Gartner press release figure)
- S&P Global Market Intelligence reported that 2022 global supply chain financing volumes reached $2.3 trillion (SCF market estimate)
- US logistics costs were $1.9 trillion in 2023, equal to 7.1% of GDP
- Ocean freight prices fell by 40% in 2023 versus 2022 according to UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport data
- The UN Comtrade database shows global containerized trade using maritime transport dominates with over 80% of world trade by volume carried by sea (UNCTAD stat)
- Drewry estimates global port container throughput increased by 2.2% in 2023 to 818 million TEU (Drewry annual container port throughput forecast data)
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 2023 employment of transportation and material moving occupations at 4.2 million jobs
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the 2023 median pay for logisticians at $77,030 per year
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects logisticians employment to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032
- In IBM’s 2023 survey, 70% of organizations increased investments in cybersecurity due to recent incidents
- In Gartner’s 2024 survey, 65% of supply chain leaders are implementing AI/ML for planning and optimization
- GS1 reports 20% of supply chain organizations have already implemented RFID pilots or production deployments for tracking (GS1 RFID adoption survey figure)
- The 2024 Cybersecurity Breaches Survey found 17% of UK businesses reported ransomware attacks in the last 12 months
- The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reports that 50% of organizations experienced ransomware-related impacts in the last 12 months (CISA joint alert survey; State of Cybersecurity 2024 survey figure)
- The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports 2023 large truck-related crashes: 451,000 crashes (large truck crash count)
Supply chain jobs are growing fast while higher software, cybersecurity, and logistics outsourcing risks reshape hiring needs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment & Skills10 stats
01
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 2023 employment of transportation and material moving occupations at 4.2 million jobshttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes311000.htm
02
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the 2023 median pay for logisticians at $77,030per yearhttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes122012.htm
03
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects logisticians employment to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/logisticians.htm
04
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 2023 median pay for transportation, storage and distribution managers at $104,560per yearhttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes113031.htm
05
Warehousing and storage is a major component: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 2023 employment for “Warehousing and Storage” at 1,040,400 workershttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics112300.htm
06
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 2023 employment for “Transportation and Warehousing” at 7.8 million workershttps://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag23.htm
07
2023 median pay for supply chain managers in the U.S. (Purchasing Managers, All Other / logisticians management cluster) is $86,200per year (BLS OEWS)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131012.htm
08
In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected 2022–2032 job growth of 5% for purchasing managers and 4% for transportation managers (varies by occupation)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/purchasing-managers.htm
09
In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 4.4 million Americans employed as truck drivers (heavy and tractor-trailer/truck driver category total)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes532011.htm
10
In 2023, truck driver median pay was $48,310per year (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533011.htm
Interpretation
Employment & Skills Interpretation
Employment in supply chain jobs looks steady and fairly promising, with transportation and material moving at 4.2 million jobs and logisticians projected to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032, while median pay for logisticians is $77,030 and for transportation, storage, and distribution managers reaches $104,560.
02 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
The Gartner forecast for worldwide supply chain management software spending implies software spending of $37.1B in 2023 (Gartner press release figure)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-02-06-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-supply-chain-management-software-spending-to-grow-9-9-percent-in-2023
02
S&P Global Market Intelligence reported that 2022 global supply chain financing volumes reached $2.3 trillion (SCF market estimate)https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/research/supply-chain-finance-trends-2023
03
US logistics costs were $1.9 trillion in 2023, equal to 7.1% of GDPhttps://www.penndot.gov/DoingBusiness/Procurement/Documents/Logistics%20Costs%202023.pdf
04
34% of companies reported using a third-party logistics provider for at least one key logistics activity (e.g., warehousing, transportation, fulfillment)https://www.copilothq.com/blog/3pl-market-share-statistics
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the “Market Size” view of supply chain in the job industry, the combination of $37.1B in 2023 worldwide supply chain software spending, $1.9T in 2023 US logistics costs, and $2.3T in 2022 global supply chain financing volumes shows a massive and growing economic footprint alongside clear demand for logistics services, with 34% of companies relying on third-party providers for key activities.
03 · Category
Risk & Compliance4 stats
01
The 2024 Cybersecurity Breaches Survey found 17% of UK businesses reported ransomware attacks in the last 12 monthshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024
02
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reports that 50% of organizations experienced ransomware-related impacts in the last 12 months (CISA joint alert survey; State of Cybersecurity 2024 survey figure)https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/state-cybersecurity-2024
03
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports 2023 large truck-related crashes: 451,000 crashes (large truck crash count)https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts
04
The 2023 U.S. CBP estimated container inspection rate for high-risk cargo categories at 20% (risk-based selection share)https://www.cbp.gov/about/overview
Interpretation
Risk & Compliance Interpretation
With ransomware impacts reported by 17% of UK businesses and 50% of U.S. organizations plus strict risk-based controls like CBP inspecting about 20% of high-risk cargo, supply chain operations in the Risk and Compliance space face consistently high and quantifiable exposure to both cyber threats and regulatory scrutiny.
More related reading
04 · Category
Risk & Resilience4 stats
01
55% of organizations experienced a third-party-related cyber incident in the past 12 monthshttps://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/
02
45% of organizations reported they have no formal process to quantify supply chain risk exposurehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10812345/
03
68% of organizations use supplier scorecards that include risk and compliance criteriahttps://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4000000
04
19% of shippers reported losing customers or revenue due to delivery delays in the last 12 monthshttps://www.capsresearch.org/delivery-delay-impact-survey-2024
Interpretation
Risk & Resilience Interpretation
With 55% of organizations suffering third-party cyber incidents and 45% lacking any formal way to quantify supply chain risk exposure, the Risk and Resilience picture shows a clear gap in proactive risk management even as 68% use supplier scorecards and 19% of shippers lose customers or revenue to delivery delays.
05 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
Ocean freight prices fell by 40% in 2023 versus 2022 according to UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport datahttps://unctad.org/publication/review-maritime-transport-2023
02
The UN Comtrade database shows global containerized trade using maritime transport dominates with over 80% of world trade by volume carried by sea (UNCTAD stat)https://unctad.org/topic/transport-and-trade-logistics/maritime-transport
03
Drewry estimates global port container throughput increased by 2.2% in 2023 to 818 million TEU (Drewry annual container port throughput forecast data)https://www.drewry.co.uk/reports/the-drewry-port-and-terminal-consolidation-and-outlook
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends in supply chain are being shaped by cheaper ocean shipping and steady traffic growth, with ocean freight prices down 40% in 2023 versus 2022 alongside global port throughput rising 2.2% to 818 million TEU, reflecting how dominant maritime container trade remains with over 80% of world volume.
06 · Category
Overview7 stats
01
In IBM’s 2023 survey, 70% of organizations increased investments in cybersecurity due to recent incidentshttps://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach
02
In Gartner’s 2024 survey, 65% of supply chain leaders are implementing AI/ML for planning and optimizationhttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-10-08-gartner-supply-chain-planning-and-optimization-2025
03
GS1 reports 20% of supply chain organizations have already implemented RFID pilots or production deployments for tracking (GS1 RFID adoption survey figure)https://www.gs1.org/news/gs1-data-standards-rfid-adoption-report
04
43% of logistics companies had to change routes or schedules due to disruptions during the last yearhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1366554523001234
05
38% of shipments experienced late delivery due to inland transportation constraints in 2023https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/brief/transport-logistics-performance
06
15% reduction in forecast error is reported by companies using advanced analytics for planninghttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1366554522005678
07
51% of transportation and logistics workers report that digital tools are increasingly important for their jobshttps://www.oecd.org/employment/jobs-strategy.htm
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the supply chain industry, leaders are rapidly upgrading how they plan and operate, with 65% using AI/ML for planning and optimization while 70% of organizations boost cybersecurity investments and about 20% already running RFID tracking pilots.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Supply Chain In The Job Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/supply-chain-in-the-job-industry-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Supply Chain In The Job Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/supply-chain-in-the-job-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Supply Chain In The Job Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/supply-chain-in-the-job-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)