Runs the monthly process that aligns a company's sales forecast, production and inventory plans and financial targets into one agreed plan. BLS does not publish separate figures for supply chain managers; it counts them within supply chain manager (SOC 11-3071), whose median pay is $107,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 11-3071
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Sales and Operations Planning Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $107,230a year, or $51.55/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $65KTop 10% $195K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.1%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 18,300228,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025228.1K
- Projected 2035242.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 228.1K Projected 2035 242.1K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Associate's4.8%
- Bachelor's66.7%
- Post-bacc certificate9.5%
- Master's19.1%
Highest education held by supply chain managers Segment Value Associate's 4.8% Bachelor's 66.7% Post-bacc certificate 9.5% Master's 19.1%
Also advertised as: S&OP Manager, Integrated Business Planning Manager, IBP Manager, S&OP Director, Supply and Demand Planning Manager.
Pay
How much do Supply Chain Managers make?
Every sales and operations planning manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$107,230
Middle half earn $82,440 to $146,770
- 10th
- $65,120
- 25th
- $82,440
- 75th
- $146,770
- 90th
- $194,900
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $65,120 |
| 25th | $82,440 |
| Median | $107,230 |
| 75th | $146,770 |
| 90th | $194,900 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $107,230
- Median hourly wage
- $51.55/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $121,600
- People employed
- 221,180
Versus all US occupations
At $107,230, Supply Chain Managers earn 110% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $56,250 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 15% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $194,900 or more while the bottom 10% earn $65,120, a gap of 3.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 81% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Delaware pays the most at $145,000, and still leads at $145,279 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Supply Chain Managers 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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Delaware | $145,000 | $145,279 | 310 |
| 2Washington | $136,500 | $127,555 | 2,490 |
| 3Colorado | $132,610 | $128,683 | 2,310 |
| 4District of Columbia | $132,180 | $120,272 | 610 |
| 5New Jersey | $130,610 | $120,040 | 9,120 |
| 6New Hampshire | $129,470 | $124,293 | 530 |
| 7New York | $127,180 | $117,845 | 6,740 |
| 8Massachusetts | $123,830 | $117,089 | 4,310 |
| 9California | $123,780 | $111,796 | 30,540 |
| 10Georgia | $123,330 | $128,078 | 6,700 |
Job outlook
Is Sales and Operations Planning Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Supply Chain Managers | +6.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Supply Chain Managers to change 6.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 14,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 18,300 openings are projected each year, 8.0% of the 228,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Sales and Operations Planning Manager
Most S&OP managers hold a bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business or engineering, and many have an MBA. They typically spend years as demand planners, supply planners or supply chain analysts before leading the process.
ASCM offers the Certified Supply Chain Professional and Certified in Planning and Inventory Management credentials, and the Institute of Business Forecasting and Planning runs S&OP training and conferences. Facilitation skill matters as much as analytics, since the job is about getting departments with different goals to commit to one plan.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 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 supply chain managers.
- Bachelor's Degree66.7%
- Master's Degree19.1%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 66.7% |
| Master's Degree | 19.1% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 9.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Sales and Operations Planning Manager do?
In many companies, sales wants more inventory, operations wants steady production, and finance wants lower costs. Sales and operations planning managers bring them together. They run a monthly cycle that reviews demand forecasts, checks them against factory and supplier capacity, and settles gaps through tradeoffs that leadership approves.
S&OP managers prepare the data and scenarios for each meeting, highlight risks such as capacity shortfalls or excess inventory, and track whether agreed actions happen. In mature companies this becomes integrated business planning, linking the plan directly to revenue and profit forecasts. They often lead teams of demand and supply planners and work closely with executives.
Day-to-day tasks
- Run the monthly sales and operations planning cycle
- Consolidate demand, supply and financial plans
- Model scenarios for capacity and inventory tradeoffs
- Facilitate executive meetings to approve plans
- Track actions and plan performance over time
- Lead teams of demand and supply planners
- Improve planning tools and processes
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
S&OP managers work in corporate offices at manufacturers, consumer goods companies and distributors, with hybrid work common. The job follows a monthly rhythm of data preparation and meetings with leadership. Some travel to plants and distribution centers is typical in global companies.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA 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
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Writing3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Mathematics3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Time Management4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Systems Evaluation3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Negotiation3.8
- Systems Analysis3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Negotiation | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- 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
- Medical 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
- Analytical or scientific software
“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 Sales and Operations Planning Manager?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECI) built on O*NET's Supply Chain Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Sales and Operations Planning Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.2
- Conventional5.4
- Realistic3.4
- Investigative3.2
- Social2.0
- Artistic1.0
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Sales and Operations Planning Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager
$107,230median a year
Most earn $65K to $195K
+6.1%High school - Business and Financial Operations
- Management
More management careers
Median annual pay, with supply chain managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Sales and Operations Planning Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Sales and Operations Planning Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Sales and Operations Planning Manager appears on
Questions
Sales and Operations Planning Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Supply Chain Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for supply chain managers. It counts them within supply chain manager, whose median pay is $107,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $82,440 and $146,770, and the top 10% earn $194,900 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Sales and Operations Planning Manager?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Supply Chain Managers. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 66.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Sales and Operations Planning Manager a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.1% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 18,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Sales and Operations Planning Manager do?
In many companies, sales wants more inventory, operations wants steady production, and finance wants lower costs. A typical task: run the monthly sales and operations planning cycle. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Document management software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Supply Chain Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Supply Chain Managers are Delaware ($145,000), Washington ($136,500), Colorado ($132,610) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Sales and Operations Planning Manager?
O*NET scores Supply Chain Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.