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ANZSCO 5111Skill level 2Business and finance

Logistics coordinator

Plan and coordinate freight, warehousing and supply-chain activities.

What a logistics coordinator actually does

Logistics coordinators spend the day moving freight and information at the same time. Mornings usually start with a check on overnight shipments, looking at what's delayed at the wharf, in a depot, or on the road, and rebooking carriers where needed. The middle of the day is a mix of customer calls, supplier emails, and updating the warehouse-management or transport-management system. Afternoons are often spent planning the next day's routes, releasing purchase orders, and tidying up paperwork for customs and dangerous-goods compliance. Most roles are 38-45 hours a week and predominantly Monday to Friday, with some sites running early starts (5-6am) to align with depot movements. Workload spikes around peak retail (October to December), major customer launches, and during weather or port disruptions. Most of the day is keyboard and phone, with regular walks through the warehouse or depot to check what's actually on the floor.

Typical tasks

  • Plan transport routes and schedules.
  • Liaise with carriers and customers.
  • Maintain warehouse-management system data.

Skills you'll use

  • Transport-management and warehouse-management systems (TMS / WMS)
  • Microsoft Excel for routing, costing and stock reports
  • Customs documentation and incoterms
  • Carrier and supplier negotiation
  • Clear phone and email communication under time pressure
  • Health-and-safety and dangerous-goods basics
  • Calm decision-making when something has gone wrong

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10 at minimum; Year 12 plus general Maths is preferred for most employers
  2. 2Complete a Certificate IV or Diploma of Logistics, Supply Chain, or Transport through TAFE or a registered training organisation
  3. 3Build experience in warehousing, store-person or freight-forwarding roles to learn the operations side
  4. 4Apply for logistics coordinator, dispatch officer, or supply-chain administrator roles
  5. 5Consider further study like an Advanced Diploma or a Bachelor of Business (logistics or supply chain) if you want to move into planning or management

Where you can work

  • Third-party logistics (3PL) and freight-forwarding companies
  • Retail and e-commerce distribution centres
  • Manufacturing and FMCG supply-chain teams
  • Mining and resources companies (inbound and outbound)
  • Agriculture, cold-chain and primary-industries logistics
  • Defence and government supply chains
  • Importers, exporters and customs brokers

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Logistics coordinator
    0-3 years
    Typical roles: Dispatch officer, Logistics coordinator, Freight forwarder
    Salary band: $60,000 - $75,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Senior coordinator / planner
    4-8 years
    Typical roles: Senior logistics coordinator, Supply planner, Customer service team leader
    Salary band: $80,000 - $105,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Logistics manager
    8+ years
    Typical roles: Logistics manager, Distribution centre manager, Supply chain manager

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You're calm when a truck breaks down or a wharf strike hits
  • You like solving puzzles around routes, stock and time
  • You can hold a phone in one hand and type in a TMS with the other
  • You like a mix of desk work and walking the warehouse floor
  • You can hold suppliers and carriers to account without blowing up the relationship

This might not suit you if

  • You hate phones, urgent messages and a busy inbox
  • You want fully remote work with no on-site requirement
  • You can't tolerate plans changing several times a day
  • You want pure strategy work with no operational firefighting

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for logistics coordinator. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.