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Freight Forwarders: Job Description
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.
What Do Freight Forwarders Do?
The core tasks performed by freight forwarders cover:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful freight forwarders rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related 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
The U.S. employs around 1,504,314 freight forwarders working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Freight Forwarders
| 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 |
Wages vary widely 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 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for freight forwarders vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Which Industries Hire Freight Forwarders
Most freight forwarders are concentrated in the following sectors:
| 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 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of freight forwarders reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Time Pressure
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
Most freight forwarders positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls 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)
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from 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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