SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Expedite and route movement of incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in airline, train, and trucking terminals and shipping docks. Take orders from customers and arrange pickup of freight and cargo for delivery to loading platform. Prepare and examine bills of lading to determine shipping charges and tariffs.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-5011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $38,340 | $3,195 | $737 | $18.43 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $45,710 | $3,809 | $879 | $21.98 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $52,260 | $4,355 | $1,005 | $25.13 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $63,390 | $5,282 | $1,219 | $30.48 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $79,810 | $6,651 | $1,535 | $38.37 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Cargo and Freight Agents is $52,260, which is 3% higher. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 15 by median pay. With 97,670 jobs, it makes up about 6.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Cargo and Freight Agents pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($76,250), New Hampshire ($67,660) and South Dakota ($64,340). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($28,600), Virgin Islands ($29,400) and Guam ($38,360). The most jobs were in California (17,060), Florida (8,110) and Texas (7,610). The occupation is most concentrated in Hawaii, where its share of all jobs is 4.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 60 | $76,250 | $73,770 | $36.66 |
| New Hampshire | 80 | $67,660 | $63,920 | $32.53 |
| South Dakota | 200 | $64,340 | $65,000 | $30.94 |
| Nebraska | 390 | $62,500 | $63,790 | $30.05 |
| Washington | 2,410 | $60,760 | $63,090 | $29.21 |
| Rhode Island | 140 | $60,310 | $61,640 | $29.00 |
| New Jersey | 4,280 | $60,210 | $61,390 | $28.95 |
| New York | 5,760 | $60,040 | $64,660 | $28.87 |
| Illinois | 6,110 | $59,750 | $58,120 | $28.72 |
| Montana | 370 | $59,240 | $59,180 | $28.48 |
| Massachusetts | 820 | $58,680 | $61,210 | $28.21 |
| Minnesota | 1,380 | $58,650 | $65,080 | $28.20 |
| California | 17,060 | $57,690 | $61,720 | $27.73 |
| Wisconsin | 1,280 | $57,290 | $57,040 | $27.54 |
| South Carolina | 1,540 | $57,000 | $58,980 | $27.41 |
| Alabama | 1,020 | $54,890 | $57,100 | $26.39 |
| North Dakota | 380 | $54,230 | $64,630 | $26.07 |
| Utah | 590 | $52,770 | $58,600 | $25.37 |
| Alaska | 580 | $52,070 | $57,880 | $25.03 |
| Tennessee | 3,390 | $51,800 | $58,310 | $24.91 |
| Colorado | 850 | $51,390 | $54,950 | $24.71 |
| Georgia | 3,630 | $51,380 | $53,510 | $24.70 |
| Missouri | 1,410 | $50,840 | $58,970 | $24.44 |
| Arkansas | not published | $50,500 | $52,070 | $24.28 |
| Maine | 190 | $50,340 | $55,930 | $24.20 |
| Indiana | 1,200 | $50,020 | $56,210 | $24.05 |
| Oklahoma | 300 | $49,940 | $52,030 | $24.01 |
| Mississippi | 260 | $49,920 | $52,290 | $24.00 |
| Arizona | 1,840 | $49,880 | $50,380 | $23.98 |
| Virginia | 1,280 | $49,680 | $55,420 | $23.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,810 | $49,590 | $56,330 | $23.84 |
| Ohio | 2,840 | $49,530 | $55,900 | $23.81 |
| Oregon | 1,290 | $49,420 | $53,190 | $23.76 |
| West Virginia | 130 | $49,100 | $53,590 | $23.60 |
| Louisiana | 840 | $48,940 | $52,090 | $23.53 |
| New Mexico | 110 | $48,910 | $54,980 | $23.51 |
| Maryland | 740 | $48,730 | $49,820 | $23.43 |
| Florida | 8,110 | $48,520 | $54,740 | $23.33 |
| Texas | 7,610 | $48,470 | $51,570 | $23.30 |
| Iowa | 660 | $48,370 | $53,420 | $23.25 |
| North Carolina | 2,520 | $48,000 | $52,100 | $23.08 |
| Michigan | 2,150 | $47,940 | $52,280 | $23.05 |
| Vermont | 80 | $47,560 | $51,950 | $22.87 |
| Nevada | 490 | $47,000 | $51,560 | $22.60 |
| Kentucky | 2,570 | $46,230 | $50,870 | $22.23 |
| Idaho | 300 | $45,710 | $50,450 | $21.98 |
| Kansas | 890 | $42,500 | $42,430 | $20.44 |
| Hawaii | 1,760 | $42,400 | $49,980 | $20.39 |
| Guam | 60 | $38,360 | $41,100 | $18.44 |
| Virgin Islands | not published | $29,400 | $32,700 | $14.14 |
| Puerto Rico | 300 | $28,600 | $29,470 | $13.75 |
| Connecticut | 560 | not published | not published | not published |
| Wyoming | 160 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
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Common questions
How much do Cargo and Freight Agents earn in the United States?
The median pay was $52,260 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,340 and the highest-paid 10% more than $79,810.
How many people work as Cargo and Freight Agents?
About 97,670 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.