What Does a Materials Manager Do?
Stocking a single storeroom is often less complicated than supplying a hospital, a campus or a dining operation because goods have to arrive, be stored and be issued on time. Supplying at that scale involves forecasting demand and moving stock through warehouses that are sometimes stretched to the limit. Materials managers run that chain, from receiving docks to storerooms and delivery routes.
Also known as: Assistant Materials Manager, Food Services Materials Manager
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Distribution Center Manager, Distribution Manager, Fleet Manager, Global Transportation Manager, Logistics Director, Logistics Operations Manager, Shipping Manager, Supply Chain Logistics Manager.
Materials Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a materials manager include:
- Direct receiving, warehouse and delivery staff who move supplies to departments and kitchens.
- Set reorder points and minimum stock levels so supplies arrive before shelves run empty.
- Forecast demand from usage data, menus or project schedules and plan purchases to match.
- Negotiate delivery schedules and prices with vendors and track their on-time performance.
- Run physical inventories and cycle counts, investigating losses and adjusting records.
- Manage the inventory software, keeping item records, units and costs accurate.
- Control food storage temperatures and rotation so ingredients are used before they expire.
- Arrange disposal of damaged, obsolete or surplus stock through approved channels.
- Enforce forklift, loading dock and chemical storage safety rules in the warehouse.
- Report stock value, turnover and spending to finance and department heads each month.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a materials manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Inventory control and demand forecasting
- Warehouse or ERP software such as SAP or Oracle
- Microsoft Excel for usage and cost analysis
- Vendor negotiation
- Food safety and storage rules for kitchen stock
- Forklift and loading dock safety
- Leading warehouse and delivery teams
- Keeping calm when shipments run late
Education and Training
Experience counts most: years of purchasing, receiving or warehouse work, usually after high school. BLS data point the same way, listing five years or more of related work as typical for transportation, storage and distribution managers, the group that includes this job. Some take the degree route instead, studying supply chain management or business, and a certification in production and inventory management adds weight to either path.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $82,440 - $146,770 per year, with a median of $107,230.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers.
BLS projects employment of transportation, storage and distribution managers, the group that includes materials managers, to grow about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 18,300 openings a year. That is healthy growth. And, as long as hospitals, campuses and kitchens need steady stock, materials managers will be needed to make sure nothing runs out at the wrong moment.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Transportation, storage, and distribution managers.
Materials Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $65,120 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $82,440 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $107,230 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $146,770 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $194,900 |
Highest-Paying States for Materials Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Delaware ($145,000), Washington ($136,500), Colorado ($132,610), District of Columbia ($132,180), New Jersey ($130,610). Pay is lowest in Louisiana ($93,650), Arkansas ($89,200), Mississippi ($85,770).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $118,320 |
| Alaska | $103,080 |
| Arizona | $98,750 |
| Arkansas | $89,200 |
| California | $123,780 |
| Colorado | $132,610 |
| Connecticut | $114,210 |
| Delaware | $145,000 |
| District of Columbia | $132,180 |
| Florida | $101,570 |
| Georgia | $123,330 |
| Hawaii | $101,480 |
| Idaho | $93,920 |
| Illinois | $120,250 |
| Indiana | $108,720 |
| Iowa | $99,010 |
| Kansas | $106,130 |
| Kentucky | $100,340 |
| Louisiana | $93,650 |
| Maine | $102,110 |
| Maryland | $105,180 |
| Massachusetts | $123,830 |
| Michigan | $99,100 |
| Minnesota | $118,180 |
| Mississippi | $85,770 |
| Missouri | $102,870 |
| Montana | $108,180 |
| Nebraska | $97,380 |
| Nevada | $99,860 |
| New Hampshire | $129,470 |
| New Jersey | $130,610 |
| New Mexico | $101,420 |
| New York | $127,180 |
| North Carolina | $106,100 |
| North Dakota | $100,720 |
| Ohio | $101,550 |
| Oklahoma | $96,830 |
| Oregon | $103,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $105,240 |
| Rhode Island | $117,600 |
| South Carolina | $106,860 |
| South Dakota | $107,410 |
| Tennessee | $100,740 |
| Texas | $100,700 |
| Utah | $102,180 |
| Vermont | $101,850 |
| Virginia | $119,140 |
| Washington | $136,500 |
| West Virginia | $98,230 |
| Wisconsin | $95,900 |
| Wyoming | $112,310 |
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 67% |
| Master's degree | 19% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10% |
Tools and Software Materials Managers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination, Writing, Speaking.
Knowledge areas used most: Transportation, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Materials Manager Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 11-3071.00 (Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers). View on O*NET OnLine.
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