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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
92,280 2.6 % $22.15 $46,070 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.49 $16.29 $20.77 $26.65 $32.18
Annual Wage (2) $25,970 $33,870 $43,210 $55,430 $66,920


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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 48,590 21.84 $23.04 $47,910
Support Activities for Air Transportation 9,420 4.36 $17.83 $37,090
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 7,870 1.26 $21.35 $44,420
Scheduled Air Transportation 7,150 1.58 $21.79 $45,330
Truck Transportation 6,020 0.41 $23.02 $47,870

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 48,590 21.84 $23.04 $47,910
Support Activities for Air Transportation 9,420 4.36 $17.83 $37,090
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 710 1.85 $24.55 $51,060
Scheduled Air Transportation 7,150 1.58 $21.79 $45,330
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 7,870 1.26 $21.35 $44,420

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 30 0.03 $32.12 $66,810
Support Activities for Water Transportation 710 0.76 $29.05 $60,430
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 260 0.01 $27.14 $56,440
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 440 0.97 $26.66 $55,460
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 710 1.85 $24.55 $51,060


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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 12,990 0.76 1.20 $22.03 $45,830
Texas 9,270 0.77 1.20 $22.06 $45,890
New York 7,160 0.76 1.20 $21.78 $45,310
Florida 6,490 0.75 1.18 $19.62 $40,810
Georgia 4,760 1.08 1.70 $21.43 $44,560




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 1,110 1.72 2.70 $19.19 $39,920
Kentucky 2,970 1.57 2.46 $20.38 $42,390
Alaska 380 1.21 1.89 $19.05 $39,620
Georgia 4,760 1.08 1.70 $21.43 $44,560
Nebraska 830 0.85 1.33 $25.30 $52,610




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 3,270 0.81 1.27 $27.15 $56,470
Washington 1,960 0.60 0.95 $26.25 $54,600
Oregon 1,420 0.75 1.18 $25.67 $53,400
Arkansas 890 0.73 1.15 $25.63 $53,310
Nebraska 830 0.85 1.33 $25.30 $52,610





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)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,580 0.90 1.42 $24.05 $50,030
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,900 1.29 2.02 $21.41 $44,540
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 4,110 0.89 1.39 $21.55 $44,830
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 3,960 1.53 2.40 $19.02 $39,560
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 3,710 1.38 2.17 $21.73 $45,190
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,410 0.96 1.50 $23.30 $48,460
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,690 0.90 1.41 $22.52 $46,850
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,300 0.95 1.49 $23.49 $48,860
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2,190 2.04 3.21 $20.57 $42,780
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,680 1.38 2.16 $22.21 $46,190




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 1,090 10.93 17.15 $16.89 $35,140
Gainesville, GA 370 4.20 6.58 $19.79 $41,170
Bellingham, WA 210 2.36 3.71 $19.01 $39,540
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 1,480 2.26 3.55 $20.59 $42,840
Medford, OR 180 2.09 3.28 $27.92 $58,070
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 2,190 2.04 3.21 $20.57 $42,780
Urban Honolulu, HI 940 2.01 3.15 $18.73 $38,960
Lexington-Fayette, KY 500 1.83 2.87 $17.95 $37,340
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 920 1.67 2.63 $19.34 $40,230
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 560 1.60 2.51 $21.74 $45,210




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)
Tuscaloosa, AL 70 0.65 1.03 $33.52 $69,720
Bend-Redmond, OR 60 0.77 1.21 $32.23 $67,040
Portsmouth, NH-ME (8) (8) (8) $29.82 $62,020
Erie, PA 30 0.28 0.43 $29.82 $62,020
Springfield, MO 120 0.56 0.88 $29.35 $61,060
Medford, OR 180 2.09 3.28 $27.92 $58,070
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 1,150 1.53 2.39 $27.32 $56,820
Port St. Lucie, FL 30 0.21 0.33 $27.07 $56,310
Salisbury, MD-DE 50 0.29 0.45 $26.87 $55,890
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 560 1.14 1.78 $26.86 $55,860

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 210 1.45 2.27 $19.45 $40,450
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 180 0.71 1.12 $20.57 $42,790
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 140 0.36 0.56 $22.10 $45,960
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 0.48 0.75 $24.79 $51,550
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 110 1.21 1.89 $20.04 $41,690

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)
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 210 1.45 2.27 $19.45 $40,450
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 90 1.41 2.21 $25.88 $53,820
Arizona nonmetropolitan area 110 1.21 1.89 $20.04 $41,690
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 180 0.71 1.12 $20.57 $42,790
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 50 0.66 1.03 $19.68 $40,940

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)
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $30.08 $62,570
North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $27.43 $57,060
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $26.73 $55,590
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 50 0.24 0.38 $26.22 $54,540
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 90 1.41 2.21 $25.88 $53,820


About May 2018 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 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019