Education and Careers for Wyoming Supply Chain Managers

Careers in supply chain management (SCM) are booming across the country, with a projected job growth rate of 7 percent by the year 2026. In Wyoming, that potential for employment growth is even more promising, and SCMs (or logisticians) are paid high incomes, too.

The supply chain is a complex process that involves the movement of products or services from beginning to end. Supply chains include: product conceptualization, design, production, shipping, warehousing and more. Someone has to run all of these complex steps in the supply chain, and that responsibility usually falls to logisticians.

To become a logistician or supply chain manager (SCM), it’s best to receive a bachelor’s degree within the supply chain management field or a related business field. Most entry-level jobs require this level of education, which can later be accentuated by further graduate study, such as a master’s degree. The more education you have, the further advanced your logistician career can be.

Logisticians typically work in office settings, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that 25 percent of them worked in the manufacturing field in 2016. Another 20 percent worked in federal government logistician positions, and 17 percent worked in professional, scientific and technical services.

Logistician Basics: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

While SCM bachelor’s degree options are limited in Wyoming, students may opt to earn their BS online or another business degree in-person. Here are some supply chain educational options for students in Wyoming:

University of Wyoming. This school, located in Laramie, offers a full spectrum of four-year business degrees. Students can opt to take the Management Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. The College of Business requires all students to earn a 2.5 GPA or higher in order to graduate from the program.
Ashford University Online. This is an online school offering a Bachelor of Arts in Supply Chain Management. The program is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). Forty-eight credit hours are required in core major courses, and the unique class system at Ashford offers classes one at a time, lasting five weeks each.

A Master’s Degree Can Add to Your Success

It’s even harder to find schools that offer master’s degrees in supply chain management or business within Wyoming. The most accessible option is probably the University of Wyoming. This school offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

The graduate program offers small class sizes and a diverse group of students ranging in background, age, field, etc. To apply for the MBA program, applicants must provide academic transcripts, GMAT or GRE scores, three letters of recommendation and a current resume.

Associate Degree Programs in Business

The easiest way to get started in a basic business career in Wyoming is by taking a shorter associate degree program. There are community colleges across the state that offer two-year degrees in business, so that graduates can get into the business field sooner or bridge their degrees to further training elsewhere.

You may want to take this educational route and opt to earn supply chain management later. A couple schools in Wyoming are:

Laramie County Community College (LCCC). This school offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Business, Supply Chain Management. The program combines both general college courses and business courses to give students a well-rounded background in the world of business and SCM. The program totals 60 credits and requires four semesters of full-time study to be completed in two years.
Northwest College. Located in Powell, this school offers an Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Business.Students can also earn a skills certificate. The difference between the AS and AAS is that those who want to continue with a four-year degree usually take the AS route. The AAS prepares students to start working in entry-level business positions upon graduation.

Add Credentials to Your Supply Chain Manager Resume

After logisticians earn their bachelor’s degrees and gain a few years of work experience, they might want to apply for APICS certification. APICS grants professional credentials to logisticians, who benefit by qualifying for more jobs and earning more money. The four credentials offered by APICS are:

Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD)
SCOR Professional (SCOR-P) Endorsement

Note that APICS is transitioning into the Association for Supply Chain Management (ACSM), which will replace the former organization.

Wyoming’s Job Outlook for Logisticians

In Wyoming, logisticians are paid slightly higher than the national median logistician income of $35.86 per hour. Wyoming logisticians clock in at a median income of $36.66 per hour, reports the BLS. The job outlook for logisticians here is also slightly higher than the national rate, with the Projections Managing Partnership predicting a 11.1 percent change in Wyoming logistician employment by the year 2026.

Get Started in Cheyenne, Wyoming

The BLS only provides statistics on logisticians in Cheyenne. Apparently, in 2018, 40 logisticians were employed in that area, with a median income of $30 per hour. The rate of employment per 1,000 jobs in Cheyenne was reported at 0.989.

The data suggests that the best place to work as a logistician in Wyoming is in Cheyenne, though these professionals are probably employed in other cities as well. Either way, this is a career path that is easily transferrable to other states and areas, as logisticians will be increasingly in demand in the future.