Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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 Cargo and Freight Agents
Industry profile for Cargo and Freight Agents
Geographic profile for Cargo and Freight Agents
National estimates for Cargo and Freight Agents:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 85,750 |
2.2 % |
$ 23.28 |
$ 48,420 |
1.1 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.43 |
$ 17.80 |
$ 22.55 |
$ 28.55 |
$ 33.39 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 30,020 |
$ 37,020 |
$ 46,910 |
$ 59,380 |
$ 69,450 |
Industry profile for Cargo and Freight Agents:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Cargo and Freight Agents are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Cargo and Freight Agents, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
52,450 |
22.52 |
$ 23.80 |
$ 49,490 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services |
7,570 |
0.82 |
$ 23.08 |
$ 48,000 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
7,080 |
1.81 |
$ 22.58 |
$ 46,970 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation |
5,130 |
2.63 |
$ 17.15 |
$ 35,660 |
| Truck Transportation |
3,600 |
0.24 |
$ 26.52 |
$ 55,170 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
52,450 |
22.52 |
$ 23.80 |
$ 49,490 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation |
5,130 |
2.63 |
$ 17.15 |
$ 35,660 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
830 |
2.57 |
$ 28.01 |
$ 58,260 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation |
960 |
1.97 |
$ 17.31 |
$ 36,000 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation |
7,080 |
1.81 |
$ 22.58 |
$ 46,970 |
Top paying industries for Cargo and Freight Agents:
Geographic profile for Cargo and Freight Agents:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Cargo and Freight Agents are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Cargo and Freight Agents, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Cargo and Freight Agents:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
12,630 |
0.76 |
1.26 |
$ 24.69 |
$ 51,350 |
| Florida |
9,000 |
1.05 |
1.72 |
$ 22.67 |
$ 47,150 |
| Texas |
8,600 |
0.70 |
1.16 |
$ 22.14 |
$ 46,060 |
| Illinois |
7,550 |
1.34 |
2.21 |
$ 23.99 |
$ 49,900 |
| New York |
5,790 |
0.67 |
1.10 |
$ 25.87 |
$ 53,810 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Cargo and Freight Agents:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Hawaii |
980 |
1.79 |
2.94 |
$ 18.29 |
$ 38,040 |
| Kentucky |
2,530 |
1.38 |
2.26 |
$ 22.56 |
$ 46,920 |
| Illinois |
7,550 |
1.34 |
2.21 |
$ 23.99 |
$ 49,900 |
| Alaska |
370 |
1.26 |
2.07 |
$ 25.96 |
$ 54,000 |
| Florida |
9,000 |
1.05 |
1.72 |
$ 22.67 |
$ 47,150 |
Top paying states for Cargo and Freight Agents:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Connecticut |
590 |
0.38 |
0.62 |
$ 34.47 |
$ 71,700 |
| Maine |
130 |
0.23 |
0.37 |
$ 27.66 |
$ 57,540 |
| South Dakota |
200 |
0.48 |
0.79 |
$ 27.04 |
$ 56,240 |
| Oregon |
1,030 |
0.57 |
0.93 |
$ 26.66 |
$ 55,450 |
| Massachusetts |
890 |
0.26 |
0.43 |
$ 26.44 |
$ 55,000 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
7,430 |
1.30 |
2.13 |
$ 25.33 |
$ 52,680 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
7,200 |
1.70 |
2.80 |
$ 23.96 |
$ 49,840 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
6,340 |
0.73 |
1.20 |
$ 26.92 |
$ 55,990 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
4,940 |
2.02 |
3.31 |
$ 22.63 |
$ 47,060 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
3,100 |
0.86 |
1.42 |
$ 22.36 |
$ 46,500 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
2,800 |
0.97 |
1.59 |
$ 24.52 |
$ 51,010 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
1,980 |
1.94 |
3.18 |
$ 21.96 |
$ 45,680 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,760 |
0.79 |
1.29 |
$ 26.77 |
$ 55,690 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,670 |
0.93 |
1.53 |
$ 21.40 |
$ 44,520 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
1,670 |
0.65 |
1.06 |
$ 23.91 |
$ 49,720 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Laredo, TX |
1,060 |
10.91 |
17.92 |
$ 15.90 |
$ 33,070 |
| Bellingham, WA |
180 |
2.17 |
3.57 |
$ 21.64 |
$ 45,020 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY |
1,050 |
2.11 |
3.47 |
$ 19.75 |
$ 41,090 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
4,940 |
2.02 |
3.31 |
$ 22.63 |
$ 47,060 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN |
1,980 |
1.94 |
3.18 |
$ 21.96 |
$ 45,680 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR |
1,140 |
1.89 |
3.11 |
$ 20.48 |
$ 42,590 |
| Medford, OR |
160 |
1.88 |
3.08 |
$ 26.79 |
$ 55,730 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
630 |
1.85 |
3.03 |
$ 22.54 |
$ 46,880 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN |
1,140 |
1.82 |
2.99 |
$ 21.22 |
$ 44,130 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
7,200 |
1.70 |
2.80 |
$ 23.96 |
$ 49,840 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Cargo and Freight Agents:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
270 |
0.73 |
1.20 |
$ 38.61 |
$ 80,300 |
| Yakima, WA |
40 |
0.47 |
0.78 |
$ 32.71 |
$ 68,030 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT |
120 |
0.22 |
0.36 |
$ 30.78 |
$ 64,030 |
| Waterbury, CT |
40 |
0.68 |
1.11 |
$ 30.03 |
$ 62,460 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME |
50 |
0.27 |
0.44 |
$ 29.98 |
$ 62,360 |
| Raleigh, NC |
240 |
0.38 |
0.62 |
$ 29.04 |
$ 60,400 |
| New Haven, CT |
40 |
0.15 |
0.24 |
$ 28.83 |
$ 59,970 |
| Worcester, MA-CT |
70 |
0.26 |
0.43 |
$ 28.76 |
$ 59,810 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
6,340 |
0.73 |
1.20 |
$ 26.92 |
$ 55,990 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
30 |
0.10 |
0.17 |
$ 26.87 |
$ 55,890 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Cargo and Freight Agents:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Cargo and Freight Agents:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Cargo and Freight Agents:
About May 2021 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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
