Business and Financial Operations

Demand Planner Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Forecasts how much of each product customers will buy so companies can make, stock and ship the right amount at the right time.

Median pay
$82,320
Growth to 2035
+17.6%
Openings a year
26,600
Typical entry
Bachelor's

Forecasts how much of each product customers will buy so companies can make, stock and ship the right amount at the right time. BLS does not publish separate figures for logisticians; it counts them within logistician (SOC 13-1081), whose median pay is $82,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.

  • SOC 13-1081
  • Business and Financial Operations
  • Last updated October 9, 2026

At a glance

Demand Planner in four numbers

Median pay
$82,320a year, or $39.58/hr
Lowest 10% $51KTop 10% $133K

US median, all jobs: $50,980

BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected growth
+17.6%Much faster than average
This career
+17.6%
All jobs
+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035
ItemValue
This career+17.6%
All jobs+3.5%
BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year
26,600255,100 jobs today
  • Jobs in 2025255.1K
  • Projected 2035300K
Employment, 2025–2035
ItemValue
Jobs in 2025255.1K
Projected 2035300K
BLS EP, 2025–2035
Typical education
Bachelor'sneeded to enter
  • High school8.3%
  • Certificate8.3%
  • Some college8.3%
  • Bachelor's75%
Highest education held by logisticians
SegmentValue
High school8.3%
Certificate8.3%
Some college8.3%
Bachelor's75%
BLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET

Also advertised as: Demand Planning Analyst, Demand Forecaster, Forecast Analyst, Supply Chain Planner, Demand Planning Manager.

Pay

How much do Logisticians make?

Annual pay, lowest-paid to highest-paid

Every demand planner in the US, by percentile of annual wage

Median

$82,320

Middle half earn $64,440 to $106,190

10th
$50,890
25th
$64,440
75th
$106,190
90th
$133,160

All US occupations: $50,980

Demand Planner annual wages
PercentileValue
10th$50,890
25th$64,440
Median$82,320
75th$106,190
90th$133,160
All US occupations$50,980

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Median annual wage
$82,320
Median hourly wage
$39.58/hr
Mean annual wage
$89,730
People employed
251,040

Versus all US occupations

At $82,320, Logisticians earn 61% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $31,340 a year.

Versus business and financial operations occupations

The median is typical for the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730.

Pay range

The top 10% earn $133,160 or more while the bottom 10% earn $50,890, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.

Rank in the bank

This median pays more than 62% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.

Cost of living

Washington posts the highest raw median ($107,250), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $110,838 in national-average dollars.

Pay by state

Which states pay Logisticians the most?

State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.

Top 10 states by median annual wage for Logisticians
StateMedianCOL-adjustedEmployed
1Washington$107,250$100,2215,670
2District of Columbia$104,770$95,3311,350
3Maryland$102,700$97,8486,840
4Massachusetts$100,360$94,8975,250
5Hawaii$100,340$91,259570
6Virginia$98,920$97,84010,540
7Alabama$98,450$110,8385,190
8New Mexico$98,430$106,743850
9Colorado$96,090$93,2444,490
10Delaware$96,090$96,275520
See all 54 states, sortable, with cost-of-living adjustments

Job outlook

Is Demand Planner a growing career?

Projected change in jobs

Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation

Logisticians
+17.6%
All US occupations
+3.5%

Much faster than average. +17.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.

Projected employment change, 2025–2035
ItemValue
Logisticians+17.6%
All US occupations+3.5%

Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035

Much faster than average

BLS projects employment of Logisticians to change 17.6% over 2025–2035, roughly 5.0× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 44,900 more jobs.

Annual openings

About 26,600 openings are projected each year, 10.4% of the 255,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.

Getting in

How to become a Demand Planner

Most demand planners have a bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business analytics, statistics, economics or a related field. Entry roles include supply chain analyst or inventory analyst jobs at manufacturers, consumer goods companies and retailers.

ASCM, formerly APICS, offers the Certified in Planning and Inventory Management credential, and the Institute of Business Forecasting and Planning offers the Certified Professional Forecaster. Strong Excel skills and experience with planning systems from SAP, Oracle, Kinaxis or Blue Yonder are valued, along with the ability to explain numbers to non-analysts.

  1. 1

    Typical entry-level education

    Bachelor's degree

  2. 2

    Work experience in a related occupation

    None

  3. 3

    Typical on-the-job training

    None

  4. 4

    Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)

    Medium preparation

BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.

What education people in the job have

O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as logisticians.

  • Bachelor's Degree75%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)8.3%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate8.3%
  • Some College Courses8.3%
Highest education held by logisticians
ItemValue
Bachelor's Degree75%
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)8.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate8.3%
Some College Courses8.3%

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

The work

What does a Demand Planner do?

Demand planners predict what customers will buy, product by product and location by location. Their forecasts drive how much a factory produces, what a retailer orders and how much inventory sits in each warehouse. Too high and money gets tied up in unsold stock; too low and shelves go empty.

Planners combine sales history with statistical forecasting models and input from sales, marketing and customers about promotions, new products and market shifts. They track forecast accuracy, explain big misses, and adjust plans weekly or monthly. Demand planners are key participants in sales and operations planning meetings, where the forecast is reconciled with supply and financial plans.

Day-to-day tasks

  1. Build statistical forecasts by product and location
  2. Gather sales and marketing input on promotions and launches
  3. Measure forecast accuracy and analyze misses
  4. Adjust forecasts for trends, seasonality and market events
  5. Present demand plans in sales and operations planning meetings
  6. Work with supply planners on inventory targets
  7. Maintain forecasting data in planning systems

Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.

Working conditions and hours

Demand planners work in offices at manufacturers, distributors and retailers, and many roles are hybrid or remote. The work follows monthly planning cycles with regular meetings with sales, marketing and operations. Hours are mostly standard, with busier periods before peak seasons and product launches.

Where the work happens

  • Indoors, climate-controlled

    NeverEvery day
  • Outdoors in all weather

    NeverEvery day

Physical demands

  • Sitting

    NeverAlmost all the time
  • Standing

    NeverAlmost all the time
  • Bending or twisting

    NeverAlmost all the time

Working with people

  • Contact with other people

    NoneConstant

    Constant contact with other people.

  • Face-to-face discussions

    NeverEvery day

    Face-to-face discussions every day.

  • Dealing with the public

    Not importantExtremely important

Pressure and stakes

  • Strict deadlines

    NeverEvery day

    Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly.

  • Conflict situations

    NeverEvery day
  • Cost of a mistake

    Not seriousExtremely serious

Autonomy

  • Freedom to decide

    NoneA lot

    A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.

Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.

Core skills

O*NET importance, 1 to 5

  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Speaking3.9
  • Monitoring3.9
  • Active Learning3.5
  • Writing3.4
  • Mathematics3.0
Core skills for Logisticians
ItemValue
Critical Thinking4.0
Reading Comprehension3.9
Active Listening3.9
Speaking3.9
Monitoring3.9
Active Learning3.5
Writing3.4
Mathematics3.0

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

Transferable skills

O*NET importance, 1 to 5

  • Coordination3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Social Perceptiveness3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  • Systems Analysis3.5
  • Time Management3.4
  • Persuasion3.3
  • Negotiation3.3
Transferable skills for Logisticians
ItemValue
Coordination3.9
Complex Problem Solving3.8
Social Perceptiveness3.6
Judgment and Decision Making3.6
Systems Analysis3.5
Time Management3.4
Persuasion3.3
Negotiation3.3

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

Tools and software

  • Accounting software · in demand
  • Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
  • Data base user interface and query software · in demand
  • Document management software · in demand
  • Electronic mail software · in demand
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
  • Office suite software · in demand
  • Presentation software · in demand
  • Process mapping and design software · in demand
  • Project management software · in demand
  • Spreadsheet software · in demand
  • Word processing software · in demand

“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.

Personality fit

What personality type suits a Demand Planner?

Interest profile

NueCareer estimate (Holland code CIE) built on O*NET's Logistician profile, scored 1 to 7

Demand Planner · Realistic: 2Demand Planner · Investigative: 4Demand Planner · Artistic: 1Demand Planner · Social: 2Demand Planner · Enterprising: 5Demand Planner · Conventional: 6
Demand Planner interest profile
AxisDemand Planner
Realistic2
Investigative4
Artistic1
Social2
Enterprising5
Conventional6

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

What the work is built around

Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.

  • Conventional5.6
  • Enterprising5.0
  • Investigative4.3
  • Realistic2.4
  • Social2.3
  • Artistic1.1

Closest MBTI types

NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.

Questions

Demand Planner: frequently asked questions

How much do Logisticians make?

BLS does not publish a separate wage for logisticians. It counts them within logistician, whose median pay is $82,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $64,440 and $106,190, and the top 10% earn $133,160 or more.

Do you need a degree to become a Demand Planner?

Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Logisticians, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 75.0% hold bachelor's degree.

Is Demand Planner a growing career?

Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 17.6% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 26,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

What does a Demand Planner do?

Demand planners predict what customers will buy, product by product and location by location. A typical task: build statistical forecasts by product and location. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.

Which states pay Logisticians the most?

The highest state medians for Logisticians are Washington ($107,250), District of Columbia ($104,770), Maryland ($102,700) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $110,838.

What personality type suits a Demand Planner?

O*NET scores Logisticians highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

Research sources for this career