Average Salary by Industry
| Industry sector (% of response) | Salary |
| Aerospace & Defense (4%) | $74,000 |
| Automotive/Transportation Vehicles & Equipment (6%) | $74,750 |
| Chemicals (5%) | $94,962 |
| Computer & Electronic Products (3%) | $69,214 |
| Construction/Building Equipment (2%) | $82,667 |
| Consulting/Education (4%) | $73,091 |
| Consumer Goods/Durables (4%) | $56,282 |
| Food, Beverage & Tobacco (6%) | $86,294 |
| Industrial Machinery (6%) | $66,938 |
| Material Handling Equipment (10%) | $93,032 |
| Metals/Metal Products (6%) | $86,315 |
| Paper/Printing/Publishing (2%) | $82,680 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Healthcare (4%) | $69,700 |
| Plastics & Rubber Products (1%) | $63,500 |
| Retail Trade (7%) | $91,450 |
| Textiles (2%) | $71,100 |
| Third-Party Logistics Provider (3%) | $84,125 |
| Transportation/Warehousing (9%) | $96,769 |
| Wholesaler/Distributor (10%) | $81,126 |
| Other (e.g., Energy/Utilities, Waste Management) (6%) | $66,405 |
Average Salary by Education Level
| Highest level attained (% of response) | Salary |
| High School (10%) | $77,311 |
| Some College (23%) | $68,051 |
| 2-yr Degree (12%) | $63,224 |
| 4-yr Bachelors Degree (30%) | $87,483 |
| Some Graduate Study (8%) | $120,880 |
| Master’s Degree or higher (17%) | $82,530 |
Average Salary by Race
| Ethnic background | Salary |
| Asian or Pacific Islander (3%) | $76,375 |
| Black/African-American (3%) | $68,521 |
| Hispanic/Latino (3%) | $58,000 |
| Native American or Alaska Native (1%) | $86,750 |
| White/Caucasian (86%) | $82,078 |
| Prefer not to say (4%) | $83,667 |
Average Salary by Gender
| Gender (% of response) | Salary |
| Male (91%) | $82,245 |
| Female (9%) | $65,230 |
Average Salary by Company Size
| Annual corporate revenues (% of response) | Salary |
| Less than $25 million (34%) | $74,560 |
| $25-50 million (13%) | $69,286 |
| $51-100 million (13%) | $105,562 |
| $100-500 million (15%) | $79,879 |
| $501 million-$1 billion (6%) | $76,318 |
| $1 billion-$20 billion (12%) | $84,242 |
| More than $20 billion (7%) | $103,744 |
Average Salary by Age
| Age (% of response) | Salary |
| 21-29 (1%) | $53,500 |
| 30-39 (8%) | $62,127 |
| 40-49 (30%) | $76,720 |
| 50-59 (43%) | $85,529 |
| 60+ (18%) | $86,295 |
Average Salary by Experience
| Years in material handling and logistics industry (% of response) | Salary |
| 0-2 (4%) | $75,200 |
| 3-5 (10%) | $81,796 |
| 6-10 (12%) | $67,232 |
| 11-15 (12%) | $68,286 |
| 16-20 (15%) | $74,095 |
| 21-25 (14%) | $87,055 |
| 26+ (33%) | $91,065 |
Average Salary by Seniority
| Years with current company (% of response) | Salary |
| 0-2 (8%) | $71,714 |
| 3-5 (18%) | $87,389 |
| 6-10 (16%) | $77,260 |
| 11-15 (17%) | $79,275 |
| 16-20 (11%) | $72,113 |
| 21-25 (10%) | $82,304 |
| 26+ (20%) | $87,230 |
Average Salary by Staff Size
| Number of employees you manage (% of response) | Salary |
| 0-10 (60%) | $75,665 |
| 11-25 (20%) | $80,634 |
| 26-50 (10%) | $91,914 |
| 51-100 (5%) | $106,231 |
| More than 100 (5%) | $107,742 |
How has your company’s staffing changed over the past year?
| Reduced staff | 50% |
| Added staff | 27% |
| No change | 23% |
How satisfied are you with your current job?
| (% of response) | 2011 | 2010 |
| Very satisfied | 25% | 33% |
| Satisfied | 44% | 36% |
| Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied | 20% | 20% |
| Unsatisfied | 9% | 9% |
| Very unsatisfied | 2% | 2% |
Average Salary by Job Responsibility
| Position (% of response) | Salary |
| Consultant (4%) | $94,900 |
| Corporate/Executive Management (CEO, COO, CFO, President, GM, etc.) (17%) | $105,717 |
| Distribution/Warehouse/Logistics Manager (12%) | $78,368 |
| Engineering Manager (8%) | $81,318 |
| Inventory/Materials Manager (3%) | $65,444 |
| Maintenance Manager (2%) | $60,400 |
| Operations Manager (10%) | $79,541 |
| Plant/Manufacturing Manager (7%) | $68,452 |
| Purchasing/Sourcing Manager (4%) | $59,500 |
| Safety Manager (2%) | $57,917 |
| Sales/Business Development Manager (7%) | $66,132 |
| Senior/Executive VP (7%) | $94,120 |
| Supply Chain Manager (4%) | $104,000 |
| Transportation/Fleet/Traffic Manager (6%) | $67,824 |
| Other (Continuous Improvement Manager, Quality Manager, Training Manager, etc.) (6%) | $65,842 |
Average Salary by Geographic Region
| Region (% of response) | Salary |
| New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) (9%) | $56,404 |
| Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) (15%) | $91,430 |
| South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) (14%) | $80,304 |
| North Central (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI) (34%) | $84,827 |
| South Central (AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX) (9%) | $73,671 |
| Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) (5%) | $83,286 |
| Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) (13%) | $83,659 |
| Other North America (Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico) (1%) | $40,333 |
How satisfied are you with material handling and logistics as a career path?
| (% of response) | 2011 | 2010 |
| Very satisfied | 28% | 38% |
| Satisfied | 42% | 40% |
| Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied | 26% | 20% |
| Unsatisfied | 3% | 2% |
| Very unsatisfied | 1% | 0% |
What matters most to you about your job?
| (% of response) | |
| Job Stability | 32% |
| Base Salary | 15% |
| Recognition of Your Importance to Company | 10% |
| Career Advancement Opportunities | 6% |
| Benefits | 8% |
| Flexible Schedule | 4% |
| Company’s Recognition of the Importance of Material Handling Operations | 9% |
| Relationships with Co-Workers | 5% |
| Continuing Education/Training | 2% |
| Vacation Time | 1% |
| Other (e.g., customer service, profitability, government regulations) | 8% |
Change in Base Salary Over Previous Year
| (% of response) | 2011 | 2010 |
| Increased more than 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Increased 3-5% | 13% | 9% |
| Increased 1-3% | 23% | 12% |
| No change | 45% | 56% |
| Decreased 1-3% | 3% | 3% |
| Decreased 3-5% | 3% | 4% |
| Decreased more than 5% | 7% | 11% |
What is your annual bonus?
| Less than $1,000 | 10% |
| $1,000-$5,000 | 18% |
| $5,001-$10,000 | 12% |
| $10,001-$25,000 | 11% |
| More than $25,000 | 10% |
| None | 39% |
When was your most recent promotion?
| Within the past 12 months | 10% |
| Within the past 1-2 years | 13% |
| Within the past 3-5 years | 29% |
| More than 5 years ago | 48% |
What was the biggest impact of the recession on you and your job?
| Took on more responsibilities | 48% |
| Found ways to be more productive | 20% |
| No impact | 14% |
| Productivity dropped | 8% |
| Like your job less | 6% |
| Not equipped to do your job adequately | 4% |
The Method to Our Madness
The MH&L 2011 Salary Survey was conducted online via e-mailed invitations to subscribers. The survey took place in January 2011. A total of 293 completed surveys were submitted. Respondents were not compensated, but were offered the chance to win a battery charger. All responses were anonymous.
