Find a Job You Really Want In
Yes, wholesale distribution is a good career path. It offers a wide variety of opportunities for people interested in business, marketing, and warehousing. From designing transportation and distribution systems to hauling freight, wholesale distribution has a place for everyone.
Plus, the world isn’t going to stop needing wholesalers anytime soon, so there is significant job security in this industry as well.
The 6 Best-Paying Jobs in Wholesale Distribution
-
Average Annual Salary: $56,000
Wholesale sales representatives work for wholesalers or manufacturing companies to sell products to retailers and other businesses. They help retail buyers find the merchandise they’re looking for, prepare the financial contracts and documents for the purchase, and often travel to work at trade shows or to meet with clients.
Wholesale sales representatives have to love working with people and have a knack for negotiation and sales, as much of their salary is based on how much they sell. If you decide to pursue this career, you can also often specialize in selling a type of product that interests you, which many people enjoy.
-
Sales Representative Supervisor
Average Annual Salary: $51,000
Sales representative supervisors handle customer questions and complaints, assist and direct sales representatives, and keep track of inventory, financial documents, and quotas. They’re the ones who keep the sales department running smoothly and ensure that customers remain happy with their purchases.
Often, experienced sales representatives become supervisors, so if you enjoy working with people, are good at sales, and want to be able to strategize and manage others, you might enjoy a career as a sales representative supervisor.
-
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager
Average Annual Salary: $87,000
Wholesale companies rely on transportation, storage, and distribution managers to create and manage systems to move and store their merchandise in an efficient, effective, and legally compliant way.
These professionals need to have both an eye for detail and the ability to see the big picture and enjoy puzzling out how to get merchandise from one place to another. They also need to have strong problem-solving skills and be able to work to solve problems at a moment’s notice.
-
Average Annual Salary: $74,000
Operations managers oversee the day-to-day tasks and flow of goods that take place in their facilities every day. They hire and direct employees, create and implement sales and inventory management strategies, and solve problems as they arise.
If you enjoy leadership roles, are good at coming up with and carrying out strategic plans, and can balance details and efficiency with the big picture and people’s needs, you might enjoy being an operations manager.
-
Average Annual Salary: $107,000
Wholesale distributors need marketers to promote their products and attract clients. These professionals work to create marketing and advertising strategies and manage their implementation by training and overseeing their marketing staff.
They may also work with sales representatives to ensure they’re presenting a polished, unified face of the company to clients. Marketing managers need to have excellent people skills, a strong understanding of marketing strategy and techniques, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly.
-
Average Annual Salary: $67,000
Once a sales representative has earned a client’s business, they’ll often pass the client off to an account manager. This person will then be the client’s point of contact at the company, answering their questions, managing their contracts, and helping them make any future orders.
If you enjoy working with people and helping them solve problems, you may enjoy being a wholesale account manager. They have to do some upselling and account renewals, but for the most part, they’re there to ensure their clients have a great experience with their purchases and the company.
9 Entry-Level Jobs in Wholesale Distribution
-
Average Annual Salary: $59,000
Wholesale distributors need truck drivers to haul their merchandise to their facilities and to their customers. These professionals are often paid by the mile to drop off and pick up trailers across the country.
If you enjoy being out on the open road and don’t mind plenty of alone time, you might enjoy being a truck driver. You’ll just need your CDL and any other licenses required by your employer and state, although your employer may provide these for you, so look into that.
-
Wholesale or Retail Buyer
Average Annual Salary: $53,000
Someone needs to decide what wholesalers should buy from manufacturers and what retailers should buy from wholesalers, and wholesale and retail buyers are the professionals in charge of this task.
To do this, the buyers go to trade shows, talk to sales representatives, and study their customers’ behaviors and preferences to choose the merchandise for their organizations. If you enjoy shopping and are good at anticipating customers’ needs, you might enjoy this career path.
-
Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerk
Average Annual Salary: $30,000
These professionals help keep shipping and receiving running smoothly by reviewing orders, recording incoming and outgoing goods, and preparing invoices. They move around a lot during the day, making this a great job option for those who don’t want to sit behind a desk all day.
To become shipping, receiving, and traffic clerk, you’ll need to be self-motivated, communicative, and attentive to detail. This is a good entry-level job option because often, you don’t need more than a high school diploma, as your employer will train you on the job. You can also often work up from this role to a managerial role.
-
Freight, Stock, and Material Mover
Average Annual Salary: $30,000
Freight, stock, and material movers (also called pickers) usually work in warehouses moving and sorting goods in storage, to and from loading docks, and into shipping containers.
This job requires a significant amount of physical labor, and it doesn’t usually require any prior education besides a high school diploma. Depending on the particular role, you may also need a forklift operator certification or similar licensing.
-
Stocker or Order Filler
Average Annual Salary: $29,000
Stockers or order fillers pick merchandise from shelves and pack it to fill orders, unpack merchandise and stock shelves, and label or price merchandise. These professionals need to have a desire to be on their feet all day and be detail-oriented and organized.
These roles are usually excellent entry-level positions because they don’t require much education or experience. They serve as an excellent way to get your foot in the door of the wholesale distribution industry.
-
Average Annual Salary: $36,000
Administrative assistants are needed in virtually every industry, wholesale distribution included. If you’re interested in getting started in the industry so you can eventually work your way up to a managerial or executive role, one of these positions is a great place to start.
To be an administrative assistant, you’ll need excellent organization, time management, and communication skills. Many positions may require you to have a bachelor’s or associate’s degree, but others won’t, so look for a position that suits your experience and your interests, as a variety of areas need administrative assistants.
-
Customer Service Representative
Average Annual Salary: $30,000
When customers (or potential customers) have a problem or a question, they need someone to call, so many wholesale distributors hire customer service representatives.
These are excellent entry-level roles for people with strong interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills, as they open the door to other opportunities within wholesale distribution and require very little prior experience.
-
Agricultural Product Grader and Sorter
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Many wholesale distributors work with food products, and those products need to be sorted and inspected by agricultural product graders and sorters. These professionals pack products and food items by size, color, and quality, and they inspect them for defects and remove any foreign matter.
These positions don’t usually have any education or work experience requirements, and they’ll usually train you on the job, making this a great entry-level role for people looking to work with their hands and gain some work experience.
-
Equipment Mechanic or Service Technician
Average Annual Salary: $55,000
Wholesale distribution involves a significant amount of equipment and machinery, which breaks down and needs maintenance regularly. As a result, the industry employs a significant number of equipment mechanics and service technicians to fix manufacturing machines, trucks, and other equipment.
These professionals are usually certified in their particular field of expertise with an associate’s degree or professional certification, but many companies will offer on-the-job training as well. If you enjoy using your hands to solve problems, you may enjoy this career path.
Why Choose a Career in Wholesale Distribution?
When you’re looking for a career path, you should consider wholesale distribution for its variety of benefits.
-
There are a plethora of opportunities to match your interests. Not only are there countless jobs available in this industry, but you can also choose to work in a sector that interests you. Wholesale agricultural products, for example, will bring very different work and require different expertise than wholesale fashion will.
-
You can influence the products that are available to consumers. Whether you’re a buyer or a packer, you get to have a part in providing people with the products they need and want, which can be very fulfilling.
-
It provides job security. Yes, the wholesale distribution industry fluctuates like any other industry, but in general, no one is going to stop needing wholesalers anytime soon. This means that if you choose this career path, you’ll likely be able to stay in wholesale distribution for as long as you want.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Wholesale Distribution
Every company and job will have its own education and certification requirements, but there are a few that are more commonly needed.
-
An associate’s degree. A significant number of roles in the wholesale distribution industry require or prefer an associate’s degree. This is especially true for the more technical or labor-based positions such as service technicians, as an associate’s degree serves to either fully certify you or qualify you for certification in these roles.
-
A bachelor’s degree. Many of the office-based and managerial roles require a bachelor’s degree, usually in:
-
Business
-
Finance
-
Accounting
-
Marketing
-
Management
-
A related field
When you choose your degree, think through what will give you the best knowledge and experience for the type of work you want to do in the future, or research the role you want and what’s usually recommended for that.
-
-
A master’s degree. If you want to work your way up to a managerial or executive role in wholesale distribution, a master’s degree will serve you well. An MBA will do it most of the time, but there may be more specialized degree plans that will better serve your career goals.
-
A Commercial Driver’s License. Earning your CDL is a requirement if you want to be a truck driver and will make you a more valuable hire for many warehouse positions.
-
An OSHA Forklift Certification. Even if you aren’t applying to specifically become a forklift operator, having this certification will increase your value as a job candidate for roles in warehousing and shipping.
What Do People Working in Wholesale Distribution Do?
People who work in wholesale distribution buy large quantities of goods from manufacturers and resell them to retailers. They also often ship and repackage those goods so that they’re ready to sell when the retailers purchase them.
Because wholesale distributors can get significant bulk discounts from manufacturers, they can pass on their savings to retailers, charging them more than they paid for the products but still less than the manufacturers would charge them for their relatively small order.
Author
Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.
