Logistics & Supply Chain
Compensation Benchmark
The salary ranges you need to make competitive offers in 2026. Sales leadership, operations management, brokerage, and supply chain — with regional variance and year-over-year shifts most hiring managers miss.
Get the Full PDF ReportSales Roles.
Logistics sales talent is compensation-sensitive and performance-transparent. These ranges reflect base salary plus realistic on-target earnings (OTE). Top performers routinely exceed the 75th percentile by 20–40%.
| Role | Base (25th) | Base (Median) | Base (75th) | OTE (Median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Development Rep / SDR | $48,000 | $55,000 | $65,000 | $75,000 |
| Account Executive | $70,000 | $82,000 | $95,000 | $140,000 |
| Account Manager / Strategic AM | $75,000 | $88,000 | $105,000 | $135,000 |
| Sales Manager / Regional SM | $105,000 | $120,000 | $140,000 | $185,000 |
| Director of Sales | $135,000 | $160,000 | $180,000 | $245,000 |
| VP of Sales / CRO | $190,000 | $220,000 | $260,000 | $400,000 |
Most companies underpay their Account Executives by $10–15K
Hiring managers anchor on their last hire from 2-3 years ago. Logistics AE base compensation has moved up 14% since 2023. If your AE comp starts with a 6, you're not attracting the top 30% of candidates — they're not even taking your call.
Operations Roles.
Operations roles are where the compensation conversation gets the most complicated. Bonus structures vary wildly. Equity enters the picture at the Director level. These are the ranges that win offers in 2026.
| Role | Base (25th) | Base (Median) | Base (75th) | Total Comp (Median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Supervisor / Lead | $58,000 | $68,000 | $78,000 | $75,000 |
| Warehouse / DC Manager | $80,000 | $95,000 | $115,000 | $108,000 |
| Operations Manager | $88,000 | $105,000 | $125,000 | $125,000 |
| Senior Operations Manager | $115,000 | $130,000 | $150,000 | $160,000 |
| Director of Operations | $145,000 | $165,000 | $195,000 | $215,000 |
| VP of Operations / COO | $210,000 | $250,000 | $300,000 | $365,000 |
Directors of Operations leave for $15K pay bumps when the real gap is equity
The best ops leaders don't jump for base salary. They jump when their current company refuses to put a phantom equity or profit-sharing plan on paper. If you're trying to retain or recruit at this level, skip the comp debate and start with the equity conversation.
Freight Brokerage Roles.
Brokerage compensation is the most commission-leveraged part of logistics. Base salaries look modest. Total earnings for a top producer can exceed any comparable ops role. These ranges reflect realistic earnings for solid producers, not top-1% outliers.
| Role | Base (25th) | Base (Median) | Base (75th) | Total Earnings (Median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broker (Entry/Mid) | $45,000 | $55,000 | $65,000 | $85,000 |
| Senior Broker | $60,000 | $72,000 | $85,000 | $145,000 |
| Brokerage Team Lead | $85,000 | $100,000 | $120,000 | $185,000 |
| Brokerage Manager / Director | $110,000 | $135,000 | $160,000 | $225,000 |
| VP of Brokerage | $170,000 | $210,000 | $260,000 | $360,000 |
The broker comp plan you inherited from 2019 is costing you talent
Commission splits that made sense when your margin was 18% don't work when it's 11%. The best brokers read their comp plan like a P&L and they'll leave the moment they do the math on a better one. Audit yours quarterly.
Supply Chain Roles.
Supply chain roles command premium compensation above comparable logistics-only positions because of the broader functional scope. Planning, procurement, and network design skills are compounding in demand.
| Role | Base (25th) | Base (Median) | Base (75th) | Total Comp (Median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demand / Supply Planner | $70,000 | $82,000 | $95,000 | $92,000 |
| Supply Chain Analyst | $72,000 | $85,000 | $100,000 | $95,000 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $95,000 | $115,000 | $135,000 | $135,000 |
| Director of Supply Chain | $150,000 | $175,000 | $205,000 | $230,000 |
| VP of Supply Chain | $215,000 | $255,000 | $305,000 | $385,000 |
Regional Variance.
These adjustments apply across all role families above. Use them as a multiplier on the median base.
Remote and hybrid roles now compress regional variance by about 40%
If the role can be remote, the Southeast discount shrinks to −2% and the Northeast premium drops to +7%. Candidates will accept a location discount; they won't accept a remote discount.
Red Flags: Your Offer Is Off-Market.
If any of these are happening in your searches, your offer is probably 10–25% below what it needs to be to close top candidates.
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