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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

43-5011 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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
95,810 2.4 % $22.48 $46,770 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.87 $16.39 $21.03 $26.90 $33.19
Annual Wage (2) $26,780 $34,080 $43,740 $55,940 $69,040


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Freight Transportation Arrangement 51,780 22.02 $23.52 $48,920
Support Activities for Air Transportation 9,540 4.18 $17.59 $36,590
Scheduled Air Transportation 8,490 1.87 $22.24 $46,260
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 6,770 0.97 $21.88 $45,520
Truck Transportation 5,800 0.38 $22.93 $47,700

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Freight Transportation Arrangement 51,780 22.02 $23.52 $48,920
Support Activities for Air Transportation 9,540 4.18 $17.59 $36,590
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 930 2.41 $25.85 $53,770
Scheduled Air Transportation 8,490 1.87 $22.24 $46,260
Support Activities for Water Transportation 1,210 1.26 $28.21 $58,670

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Water Transportation 1,210 1.26 $28.21 $58,670
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 250 0.01 $26.94 $56,040
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 930 2.41 $25.85 $53,770
Computer Systems Design and Related Services (8) (8) $25.68 $53,410
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 270 0.60 $25.15 $52,310


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 13,670 0.79 1.21 $23.01 $47,850
Texas 8,500 0.68 1.05 $21.12 $43,930
Florida 7,760 0.88 1.35 $20.47 $42,590
New York 7,460 0.78 1.20 $24.46 $50,870
Illinois 5,300 0.88 1.35 $23.16 $48,180




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 1,380 2.17 3.33 $19.04 $39,600
Kentucky 2,680 1.41 2.17 $20.35 $42,340
Virginia 3,490 0.90 1.38 $22.29 $46,350
Indiana 2,740 0.89 1.37 $20.78 $43,220
Illinois 5,300 0.88 1.35 $23.16 $48,180




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 2,160 0.65 1.00 $26.31 $54,720
New Jersey 2,380 0.58 0.89 $26.20 $54,500
Oregon 1,420 0.74 1.14 $26.01 $54,110
Maine 190 0.31 0.48 $25.65 $53,350
Nebraska 640 0.65 1.00 $25.54 $53,130





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 8,520 1.37 2.09 $23.17 $48,180
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 7,790 0.81 1.24 $25.94 $53,950
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 5,180 1.11 1.70 $23.29 $48,430
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,530 1.71 2.63 $19.43 $40,410
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 3,050 1.11 1.71 $22.60 $47,020
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,720 0.74 1.14 $21.52 $44,750
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,660 0.87 1.34 $21.38 $44,470
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2,310 2.13 3.27 $21.07 $43,820
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,970 0.80 1.22 $24.33 $50,610
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,830 0.92 1.42 $21.53 $44,790




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Laredo, TX 1,000 9.59 14.70 $17.04 $35,440
Bellingham, WA 200 2.26 3.46 $19.88 $41,350
Gainesville, GA 200 2.23 3.41 $20.57 $42,780
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2,310 2.13 3.27 $21.07 $43,820
Medford, OR 180 2.09 3.21 $27.78 $57,790
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 1,270 1.93 2.96 $21.01 $43,700
Lexington-Fayette, KY 530 1.93 2.96 $17.32 $36,020
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 1,040 1.89 2.90 $19.48 $40,510
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 670 1.87 2.86 $21.33 $44,360
Urban Honolulu, HI 850 1.85 2.83 $20.35 $42,330




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bend-Redmond, OR 40 0.52 0.79 $34.61 $71,990
Erie, PA 40 0.30 0.47 $31.74 $66,030
New Haven, CT 70 0.25 0.38 $29.77 $61,930
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 1,300 1.71 2.62 $27.86 $57,950
Medford, OR 180 2.09 3.21 $27.78 $57,790
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,690 0.83 1.28 $26.17 $54,440
Springfield, MO 130 0.61 0.94 $26.10 $54,290
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 7,790 0.81 1.24 $25.94 $53,950
Manchester, NH 80 0.71 1.09 $25.89 $53,860
Green Bay, WI 160 0.89 1.36 $25.78 $53,620

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 250 1.70 2.60 $20.64 $42,930
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 210 2.07 3.18 $16.38 $34,060
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 180 0.69 1.06 $19.38 $40,300
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 150 0.62 0.95 $25.48 $52,990
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 110 0.45 0.69 $17.92 $37,280

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 210 2.07 3.18 $16.38 $34,060
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 250 1.70 2.60 $20.64 $42,930
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 70 1.05 1.61 $17.42 $36,240
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 90 0.97 1.48 $20.17 $41,960
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.90 1.38 $20.02 $41,640

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $28.95 $60,210
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.59 0.90 $27.27 $56,730
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 150 0.62 0.95 $25.48 $52,990
Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $23.91 $49,740
Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 0.53 $23.47 $48,810


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020