Cargo and Freight Agents Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-5011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$52,270
$25.13/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Cargo and Freight Agents is $52,270 per year ($25.13/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,718 and $63,398 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $79,810 per year. There are approximately 97,670 cargo and freight agents employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+8.5%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
9K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
101K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
10% from new growth90% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Freight Transportation Arrangement
NAICS 488500
53K
$54,730
Couriers and Express Delivery Services
NAICS 492100
10K
$57,660
Scheduled Air Transportation
NAICS 481100
8K
$49,030
Support Activities for Air Transportation
NAICS 488100
6K
$39,190
Truck Transportation
NAICS 484000
5K
$58,260
Wage range across top 5 industries: $39,190 to $58,260 (49% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.43
$38,334
P25
$21.98
$45,718
P50MEDIAN
$25.13
$52,270
P75
$30.48
$63,398
P90
$38.37
$79,810
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cargo and freight agents salary?
The national median salary for Cargo and Freight Agents is $52,270 per year ($25.13/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,718 and $63,398 annually.
How much do top-earning cargo and freight agents make?
The 90th percentile salary for Cargo and Freight Agents is $79,810 per year ($38.37/hr). The 75th percentile is $63,398 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for cargo and freight agents?
Entry-level Cargo and Freight Agents (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,334 per year ($18.43/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,718 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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