Cargo and Freight Agents Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for cargo and freight agentss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$73,770
- Minnesota$65,080
- South Dakota$65,000
- New York$64,660
- North Dakota$64,630
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $73,770 | $76,250 | $35 | +28.9% | 60 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $65,080 | $58,650 | $31 | +13.7% | 1,380 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $65,000 | $64,340 | $31 | +13.6% | 200 |
| 4 | New York | $64,660 | $60,040 | $31 | +13% | 5,760 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $64,630 | $54,230 | $31 | +12.9% | 380 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $63,920 | $67,660 | $31 | +11.7% | 80 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $63,790 | $62,500 | $31 | +11.5% | 390 |
| 8 | Washington | $63,090 | $60,760 | $30 | +10.2% | 2,410 |
| 9 | California | $61,720 | $57,690 | $30 | +7.8% | 17,060 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $61,640 | $60,310 | $30 | +7.7% | 140 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $61,390 | $60,210 | $30 | +7.3% | 4,280 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $61,210 | $58,680 | $29 | +7% | 820 |
| 13 | Montana | $59,180 | $59,240 | $28 | +3.4% | 370 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $58,980 | $57,000 | $28 | +3.1% | 1,540 |
| 15 | Missouri | $58,970 | $50,840 | $28 | +3% | 1,410 |
| 16 | Utah | $58,600 | $52,770 | $28 | +2.4% | 590 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $58,310 | $51,800 | $28 | +1.9% | 3,390 |
| 18 | Illinois | $58,120 | $59,750 | $28 | +1.6% | 6,110 |
| 19 | Alaska | $57,880 | $52,070 | $28 | +1.1% | 580 |
| 20 | Alabama | $57,100 | $54,890 | $27 | -0.2% | 1,020 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $57,040 | $57,290 | $27 | -0.3% | 1,280 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $56,330 | $49,590 | $27 | -1.6% | 2,810 |
| 23 | Indiana | $56,210 | $50,020 | $27 | -1.8% | 1,200 |
| 24 | Maine | $55,930 | $50,340 | $27 | -2.3% | 190 |
| 25 | Ohio | $55,900 | $49,530 | $27 | -2.3% | 2,840 |
| 26 | Virginia | $55,420 | $49,680 | $27 | -3.2% | 1,280 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $54,980 | $48,910 | $26 | -3.9% | 110 |
| 28 | Colorado | $54,950 | $51,390 | $26 | -4% | 850 |
| 29 | Florida | $54,740 | $48,520 | $26 | -4.4% | 8,110 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $53,590 | $49,100 | $26 | -6.4% | 130 |
| 31 | Georgia | $53,510 | $51,380 | $26 | -6.5% | 3,630 |
| 32 | Iowa | $53,420 | $48,370 | $26 | -6.7% | 660 |
| 33 | Oregon | $53,190 | $49,420 | $26 | -7.1% | 1,290 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $52,290 | $49,920 | $25 | -8.6% | 260 |
| 35 | Michigan | $52,280 | $47,940 | $25 | -8.6% | 2,150 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $52,100 | $48,000 | $25 | -9% | 2,520 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $52,090 | $48,940 | $25 | -9% | 840 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $52,070 | $50,500 | $25 | -9% | — |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $52,030 | $49,940 | $25 | -9.1% | 300 |
| 40 | Vermont | $51,950 | $47,560 | $25 | -9.2% | 80 |
| 41 | Texas | $51,570 | $48,470 | $25 | -9.9% | 7,610 |
| 42 | Nevada | $51,560 | $47,000 | $25 | -9.9% | 490 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $50,870 | $46,230 | $24 | -11.1% | 2,570 |
| 44 | Idaho | $50,450 | $45,710 | $24 | -11.8% | 300 |
| 45 | Arizona | $50,380 | $49,880 | $24 | -12% | 1,840 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $49,980 | $42,400 | $24 | -12.7% | 1,760 |
| 47 | Maryland | $49,820 | $48,730 | $24 | -12.9% | 740 |
| 48 | Kansas | $42,430 | $42,500 | $20 | -25.9% | 890 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 187 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $77,230 | $65,760 | 70 |
| 2 | Lake Charles, LA | $68,080 | $57,090 | 30 |
| 3 | Tulsa, OK | $67,140 | $59,520 | 130 |
| 4 | Rapid City, SD | $65,440 | $67,350 | 30 |
| 5 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $65,320 | $68,490 | 40 |
| 6 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $64,580 | $59,000 | 60 |
| 7 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $64,410 | $65,270 | 50 |
| 8 | New Haven, CT | $63,380 | $71,180 | 80 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | $63,010 | $63,660 | 60 |
| 10 | Missoula, MT | $63,010 | $61,220 | 60 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing cargo and freight agentss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inland Water Transportation | $81,810 | $81,970 | — |
| 2 | Rail Transportation | $80,870 | $75,910 | 210 |
| 3 | Rail Transportation | $80,870 | $75,910 | 210 |
| 4 | Water Transportation | $71,950 | $85,650 | 1,230 |
| 5 | Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation | $70,650 | $85,840 | 1,170 |
| 6 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $69,100 | $69,670 | 250 |
| 7 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $69,100 | $69,670 | 250 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $66,750 | $67,520 | 300 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $66,560 | $67,420 | 300 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $66,560 | $67,420 | 300 |
| 11 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $65,000 | $60,740 | — |
| 12 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $65,000 | $60,740 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do cargo and freight agents make in the U.S.?
The median cargo and freight agents salary in the United States is $52,260 per year (mean $57,230), and about 80% earn between $38,340 and $79,810.
How much do cargo and freight agents make per hour?
Roughly $28 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $57,230 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays cargo and freight agents the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for cargo and freight agents at $73,770 per year (median $76,250).
What is the job outlook for cargo and freight agents?
Employment is projected to change +8.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 8,800 openings per year.