How Much Do Distribution Specialists Make?

Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary distribution specialists make, you've come to the right place.

Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for distribution specialists and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of distribution specialists are offering as compensation.

Keep reading to learn more about how much distribution specialists can expect to make in the United States.

At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Distribution Specialists

According to data from 2023, there were about 256,678 positions for distribution specialists in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for distribution specialists was reported to be $79,394. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 135,127 job postings related to positions for distribution specialists.

How Much Money Do Distribution Specialists Make?

Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money distribution specialists and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.

Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for distribution specialists.

Annual Salary for Distribution Specialists

According to the BLS, the lowest earners for distribution specialists and related professions earned about $47,986 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $128,544 annually.

As mentioned previously, the median salary for distribution specialists in the United States in 2023 was $79,394.

Hourly Salary for Distribution Specialists

The BLS also breaks down compensation for distribution specialists by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for distribution specialists in 2023 was $38. Lowest hourly earners took home $23 while the highest reported hourly salaries for distribution specialists was $62.

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Degree Options for Distribution Specialists

Advertised Compensation for Distribution Specialists

Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for distribution specialists, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for distribution specialists.

Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™

Annual Salary from Job Postings for Distribution Specialists

During a review of 152,047 job postings related to distribution specialists, advertised salary was included in 48,999 of them, which was 32%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for distribution specialists was $60,544 per year.

Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Distribution Specialists

A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for distribution specialists. Based on 36% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for distribution specialists in the United States is about $29.

Salary Trend for Distribution Specialists

If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for distribution specialists. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.

Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for distribution specialists dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for distribution specialists have increased 42%.

What's the Job Growth for Distribution Specialists?

Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for distribution specialists over the next 10 years.

According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 256,848 jobs for distribution specialists in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 50,495 jobs will be added. That's a 19.7% increase over the next 10-year period.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about distribution specialists? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for distribution specialists.

What do distribution specialists do?
Distribution Specialists: How do you become one?

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