What is a logistics engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Guiping Hu Ph.D.

A logistics engineer designs and optimizes logistics systems for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. They analyze data, develop strategies, and implement solutions to streamline transportation, warehousing, and supply chains. Logistics engineers work with managers, technicians, and vendors to ensure that products arrive on time and within budget. They use software and technologies to model, simulate, and test logistics scenarios and recommend improvements Overall, a logistics engineer ensures the most efficient transportation of resources.

What general advice would you give to a Logistics Engineer?

Guiping Hu Ph.D.

Professor and Department Head, Oklahoma State University

People like the diversity and flexibility of being an industrial engineer. You can work on all kinds of problems with your industrial engineering skills. However, if you are only looking for a very narrow area in a specific engineering discipline, industrial engineering may not be right for you since we focus on system efficiency improvement and welfare of the workers.

ScoreLogistics EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.2

Avg. Salary $66,693

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.3

Growth Rate 28%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.35%

Asian 11.30%

Black or African American 13.29%

Hispanic or Latino 19.58%

Unknown 5.35%

White 50.13%

Gender

female 19.12%

male 80.88%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Logistics Engineer?

Pros

High demand for logistics engineers in various industries
Competitive salary and benefits
Collaborative work environment with other professionals
Opportunities for global travel and networking
Chance to work with cross-functional teams

Cons

High levels of stress due to the fast-paced nature of the job
Long hours and unpredictable work schedule
Limited social interaction due to focus on technical tasks
Risk of burnout from high workload and pressure
Potential for physical strain from warehouse or production settings

Key steps to become a logistics engineer

Explore logistics engineer education requirements

Most common logistics engineer degrees

Bachelor's

68.7 %

Master's

14.7 %

Associate

11.9 %

Start to develop specific logistics engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Maintainability	8.13%
Life Cycle	8.03%
DOD	5.46%
Continuous Improvement	4.66%
Maintenance Tasks	4.48%

Complete relevant logistics engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New logistics engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a logistics engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real logistics engineer resumes.

Research logistics engineer duties and responsibilities

Prepare RFP, review carrier responses, manage vetting process, perform cost analysis and carrier selection.
Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Research and analysis of aircraft options for safety, maintainability, reliability and scheduling of maintenance procedures.
Coordinate direct support for system in theater and provide supplemental training to DOD personnel.

Prepare your logistics engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your logistics engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a logistics engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Logistics Engineer Resume templates

Build a professional Logistics Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Logistics Engineer resume.

Apply for logistics engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a logistics engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do logistics engineers rate their job?