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Freight agent: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$52,260median pay per year, or $25.13 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $38,340lowest 10% earn less
  2. $45,71025th percentile
  3. $52,260median
  4. $63,39075th percentile
  5. $79,810top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Cargo and freight agents earned a median of $52,260 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 6.2% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+6.2%[2]
Openings per year
9,000[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do freight agents make?

The median wage for cargo and freight agents was $52,260 a year, or $25.13 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean wage was $57,230 a year, or $27.52 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,340 a year, and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $45,710[3]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $63,390, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $79,810[3]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[8].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][9] $38,340 $18.43
25th percentile[3][9] $45,710 $21.98
Median[1] $52,260 $25.13
75th percentile[3][9] $63,390 $30.48
90th percentile[3][9] $79,810 $38.37

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits[10]. About 97,670 people held these jobs in May 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median at $76,250 a year, followed by New Hampshire at $67,660 and South Dakota at $64,340[12]. Hawaii had the lowest listed median at $42,400[12].

California had the most jobs at 17,060, then Florida at 8,110 and Texas at 7,610[13]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Tulsa, OK had the highest median at $67,140, followed by Sioux Falls, SD-MN at $62,950[14]. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area had the most jobs at 10,490, with a median of $59,010[15].

Show median pay in 47 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[12]$76,25060
New Hampshire$67,66080
South Dakota$64,340200
Nebraska$62,500390
Washington$60,7602,410
Rhode Island$60,310140
New Jersey$60,2104,280
New York$60,0405,760
Illinois$59,7506,110
Montana$59,240370
Massachusetts$58,680820
Minnesota$58,6501,380
California$57,69017,060
Wisconsin$57,2901,280
South Carolina$57,0001,540
Alabama$54,8901,020
North Dakota$54,230380
Utah$52,770590
Alaska$52,070580
Tennessee$51,8003,390
Colorado$51,390850
Georgia$51,3803,630
Missouri$50,8401,410
Arkansas$50,500n/a
Maine$50,340190
Indiana$50,0201,200
Oklahoma$49,940300
Mississippi$49,920260
Arizona$49,8801,840
Virginia$49,6801,280
Pennsylvania$49,5902,810
Ohio$49,5302,840
Oregon$49,4201,290
West Virginia$49,100130
Louisiana$48,940840
New Mexico$48,910110
Maryland$48,730740
Florida$48,5208,110
Texas$48,4707,610
Iowa$48,370660
North Carolina$48,0002,520
Michigan$47,9402,150
Vermont$47,56080
Nevada$47,000490
Kentucky$46,2302,570
Idaho$45,710300
Kansas$42,500890
Hawaii$42,4001,760

How to become a freight agent

BLS describes the usual path this way[6]:

In an O*NET survey of 16 workers, 31% said a bachelor's degree was required and 12% said a high school diploma or equivalent[16]. The survey is very small, so it shows only a rough picture. The facts we have do not list any license or exam for this job.

What freight agents do

Freight agents speed up and route cargo and freight moving through airline, train and trucking terminals and shipping docks[17]. Typical tasks include:

Sample job titles include load planner, freight broker, logistics coordinator and intermodal dispatcher[19].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 6.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 100,300 to 106,400 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[20]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].

About 9,000 openings are projected each year[5]. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.6% of workers leave the labor force and 4.5% move to a different occupation[21].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay is a little above the all-occupations median, at $52,260 compared with $50,980[1][4]. Entry usually calls for a high school diploma, no related experience and short-term on-the-job training[6]. Projected growth is faster than for all occupations, at 6.2% compared with 3.5%[2][20]. Pay differs by state, so check the figures for your area[12].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[22].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a freight agent make an hour?
The median was $25.13 an hour in May 2025, or $52,260 a year[1].
What education do you need to be a freight agent?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with no related work experience and short-term on-the-job training[6].
Are cargo and freight agents in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 6.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,000 openings a year[2][5].
What is the highest paying state for freight agents?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $76,250 a year[12]. New Hampshire was next at $67,660[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Cargo and Freight Agents in the US was $52,260 per year and $25.13 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Cargo and Freight Agents is projected to grow 6.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 100,300 to 106,400 jobs (a change of +6,200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Cargo and Freight Agents: 10th percentile $38,340, 25th percentile $45,710, 75th percentile $63,390, 90th percentile $79,810. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 9,000 openings for Cargo and Freight Agents are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Cargo and Freight Agents: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Cargo and Freight Agents was $57,230 per year and $27.52 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Cargo and Freight Agents: 10th percentile $18.43, 25th percentile $21.98, 75th percentile $30.48, 90th percentile $38.37. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 97,670 people were employed as Cargo and Freight Agents in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Cargo and Freight Agents in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Cargo and Freight Agents jobs: California 17,060; Florida 8,110; Texas 7,610; Illinois 6,110; New York 5,760. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Cargo and Freight Agents (areas with at least 100 jobs): Tulsa, OK $67,140; Sioux Falls, SD-MN $62,950; Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $62,830; Omaha, NE-IA $62,240; Syracuse, NY $62,100; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $61,860; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $60,980; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $60,590. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Cargo and Freight Agents jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 10,490 (median $59,010); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 7,820 (median $60,590); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 5,630 (median $59,850); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,620 (median $48,150); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,680 (median $58,750); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,570 (median $48,690). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 43-5011.00 survey of workers (16 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 31%, Some College Courses 19%, Post-Secondary Certificate 18%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 18%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 12% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Cargo and Freight Agents. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Cargo and Freight Agents. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 43-5011.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Air Export Specialist, Drop Shipment Clerk, Freight Broker, Intermodal Dispatcher, International Coordinator, Load Planner, Logistics Coordinator, Logistics Service Representative. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Cargo and Freight Agents: 3.6% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.5% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.