Logisticians
Additional Information
Duties
The following are typical tasks for logisticians:
- Design, build, and dismantle a product's whole life cycle.
- In charge of allocating resources, supplies, and goods.
- Establish commercial ties with vendors and customers.
- Know what your customers want and how to give it to them.
- Re-examine logistical processes and look for ways to improve them.
- Make suggestions on ways to reduce the cost and time of transporting products.
Logisticians are in charge of procuring, transporting, stocking, and storing materials. They are capable of directing the movement of a wide variety of commodities, people, and supplies, from everyday consumer items to military equipment and soldiers.
Education
An associate degree in logistics may be sufficient for some occupations. Companies, on the other hand, prefer to recruit people with at least a bachelor's degree because of the complexity of logistics and supply chains. Business or a closely related discipline is the most common undergraduate degree for logisticians.
Courses in database and operations management, as well as system dynamics, are common in bachelor's degree programs. There are a wide range of courses that teach students on standard logistics software and technologies, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) (RFID).
Registration, Licenses, and Certifications
Professional competency and breadth of logistics knowledge can be demonstrated without certification. The Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) and the International Society of Logistics (ISL) offer certification programs for logistics professionals (SOLE). A logistician who wishes to pursue certification must first complete the necessary academic and work experience criteria and then sit for the certification test.
The Defense Acquisition University offers a number of different certificates for its graduates (DAU).
Acquisitions by the Department of Defense require these certifications.
An Experiment in a Related Field
Work experience can be used as a substitute for a certain degree in some cases. Prior expertise in logistics, supply chains, or the corporate world is a big help here, too. While serving in the military or as a dispatcher or clerk, some people get professional experience in a logistical support capacity. A worker's knowledge of the production and supply chain might improve with time and experience.
Characteristics That Are Very Important
The ability to communicate. To work effectively with both coworkers and suppliers and customers, logisticians must have excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
Possessing the capability to think critically. Logisticians are responsible for creating, revising, and executing logistical plans. Cost-cutting and efficiency-improving strategies are frequently required.
Ability to provide excellent customer service. The transfer of commodities from suppliers to customers must be coordinated by logisticians who understand the requirements of their clients. They learn about the goods and systems they work with by paying attention to the needs of the customer.
The ability to manage one's time effectively. Logisticians need to be able to multitask in a fast-paced atmosphere while maintaining meticulous records.
The ability to solve problems. Unforeseen complications, such as delivery issues, must be handled by logisticians, who must change plans as necessary to remedy the issues.
Pay
The median annual wage for logisticians was $80,880 in May 2024. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $49,260, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $132,110.
Job Projections
Employment of logisticians is projected to grow 19 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.