Cargo and Freight Agents
Also called: Air Export Coordinator, Air Export Specialist, Air Freight Coordinator, Cargo Agent, Cargo Customer Service Agent (Cargo CS Agent), Cargo Router, Cargo Warehouse Agent, Container Coordinator
Expedite and route movement of incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in airline, train, and trucking terminals and shipping docks.
What cargo and freight agents do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery.
- Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.
- Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.
- Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations.
- Arrange insurance coverage for goods.
- Install straps, braces, and padding to loads to prevent shifting or damage during shipment.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Cargo and Freight Agents salary
The median annual wage for cargo and freight agents is $52,260 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $38,340 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $79,810. The mean annual wage is $57,230.
The mean hourly wage of $27.00 is 3.7× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Cargo and Freight Agents (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $52,260 → in 3 years $57,200 → in 5 years $60,800 → in 10 years $70,800 (10-year range $60,900–$82,200). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Cargo and Freight Agents
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Cargo and Freight Agents? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Cargo and Freight Agents
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Cargo and Freight Agents United States | 貿易事務 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $52,260 | ¥5.25M ≈ $33,395 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $70,800 | ¥5.72M |
| Outlook score | 55 | 34 |
| AI replacement risk | 51% Moderate | 91% Very high |
| Workers | 98K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Cargo and Freight Agents
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become cargo and freight agents
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as cargo and freight agents
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.