Cargo and Freight Agents
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.
What it pays
Cargo and Freight Agents earn a median of $25.13/hr — about $52,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $18.43/hr; the top 10% earn $38.37/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Cargo and Freight Agents earn a median of $25.13/hr — about $52,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $18.43/hr; the top 10% earn $38.37/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.
- Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.
- Track delivery progress of shipments.
- Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
- Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.
- Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.2% of cargo and freight agents are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and hands-on.
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Quick questions
- How much does a cargo and freight agent make?
- The median pay is $25.13 per hour — roughly $52,500 a year, with the real range running from about $18.43/hr (10th percentile) to $38.37/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a cargo and freight agent?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a cargo and freight agent actually do all day?
- Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies. Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents. Track delivery progress of shipments.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.