Freight Forwarders: Career Overview
Research rates, routings, or modes of transport for shipment of products. Maintain awareness of regulations affecting the international movement of cargo. Make arrangements for additional services, such as storage or inland transportation.
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What Tasks Do Freight Forwarders Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of freight forwarders include:
- Negotiate shipping rates with freight carriers.
- Arrange for special transport of sensitive cargoes, such as livestock, food, or medical supplies.
- Arrange for applicable duties, taxes, or paperwork for customs clearance.
- Inform clients of factors such as shipping options, timelines, transfers, or regulations affecting shipments.
- Prepare shipping documentation, such as bills of lading, packing lists, dock receipts, or certificates of origin.
- Complete customs paperwork.
- Prepare invoices or cost quotations for freight transportation.
- Select shipment routes, based on nature of goods shipped, transit times, or security needs.
What Freight Forwarders Need to Know
Effective freight forwarders rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Freight Forwarders Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Air Cargo Agent
- Air Export Agent
- Air Export Clerk
- Air Export Coordinator
- Air Freight Forwarder
- Cargo Agent
- Domestic Freight Forwarder
- Export Clerk
Job Outlook
There are about 1,504,314 freight forwarders working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.3% over the projection horizon.
Freight Forwarders Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,360 |
| Hourly median | $22.29 |
| 10th percentile | $31,260 |
| 25th percentile | $38,810 |
| 75th percentile | $53,910 |
| 90th percentile | $61,460 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| South Dakota | $68,400 |
| New Jersey | $62,860 |
| Montana | $60,660 |
| Massachusetts | $59,700 |
| Nebraska | $58,160 |
| Wisconsin | $57,490 |
| New York | $57,230 |
| California | $56,100 |
| Georgia | $55,710 |
| Utah | $55,220 |
| Washington | $55,140 |
| Idaho | $53,240 |
| Alabama | $53,100 |
| Indiana | $52,040 |
| Rhode Island | $51,990 |
| New Hampshire | $51,590 |
| Colorado | $51,430 |
| South Carolina | $51,420 |
| Minnesota | $51,370 |
| Virginia | $50,560 |
| Vermont | $50,530 |
| Mississippi | $49,950 |
| Arkansas | $49,210 |
| Alaska | $49,030 |
| Kansas | $49,020 |
| Florida | $48,850 |
| Louisiana | $48,800 |
| Maine | $48,780 |
| Nevada | $48,630 |
| Illinois | $48,420 |
| Oregon | $48,290 |
| North Dakota | $48,010 |
| Tennessee | $47,950 |
| Ohio | $47,900 |
| Michigan | $47,750 |
| Maryland | $47,460 |
| North Carolina | $46,880 |
| Texas | $46,580 |
| Iowa | $46,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,080 |
| Oklahoma | $45,620 |
| Kentucky | $45,100 |
| New Mexico | $44,770 |
| Arizona | $42,640 |
| Hawaii | $39,720 |
| Guam | $35,350 |
| Virgin Islands | $29,130 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,670 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for freight forwarders differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $55,857 | 12.9% | 0.92 |
| Far Western US | $53,750 | 22.6% | 1.58 |
| Rocky Mountains | $52,180 | 2.4% | 0.62 |
| Southeast | $49,548 | 23.4% | 1.06 |
| Great Lakes | $49,346 | 17.1% | 1.29 |
| Southwest | $45,610 | 13.5% | 1.16 |
| New England | $38,483 | 1.5% | 0.36 |
| Plains States | $36,041 | 6.2% | 0.91 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | SD | $67,820 | 150 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $66,350 | 50 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $63,430 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $63,350 | 550 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | UT | $62,650 | 500 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $62,590 | 7,020 |
| Rapid City, SD | SD | $62,590 | 30 |
| Missoula, MT | MT | $62,150 | 70 |
Top Industries Employing Freight Forwarders
The largest employers of freight forwarders work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 89,080 | $49,870 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3,870 | $50,770 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,300 | $50,870 |
| Wholesale Trade | 900 | $51,590 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 720 | $46,640 |
| Manufacturing | 190 | $56,800 |
| Retail Trade | 80 | n/a |
Below are examples of industries where freight forwarders work:
Software Freight Forwarders Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for freight forwarders is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Time Pressure
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Education and Training
Most freight forwarders positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Supplemental)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Customs Brokers (Primary-Short)
- Logisticians (Supplemental)
- Logistics Engineers (Supplemental)
- Logistics Analysts (Supplemental)
- Transportation Planners (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for freight forwarders often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
2 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-5011.01 (Cargo and Freight Agents).
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