Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
80,570 2.4 % $19.56 $40,680 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.22 $14.24 $18.37 $23.42 $28.83
Annual Wage (2) $23,340 $29,620 $38,210 $48,720 $59,960


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 39,770 22.64 $20.20 $42,010
Scheduled Air Transportation 9,750 2.38 $18.38 $38,220
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 7,270 1.52 $18.69 $38,860
General Freight Trucking 6,230 0.70 $18.89 $39,300
Support Activities for Air Transportation 3,490 2.14 $14.50 $30,160

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 39,770 22.64 $20.20 $42,010
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 1,580 3.84 $17.94 $37,310
Support Activities for Water Transportation 2,540 2.81 $26.46 $55,030
Scheduled Air Transportation 9,750 2.38 $18.38 $38,220
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 790 2.17 $23.83 $49,580

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 2,540 2.81 $26.46 $55,030
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 170 0.02 $25.97 $54,010
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 370 0.02 $25.22 $52,460
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 790 2.17 $23.83 $49,580
Specialized Freight Trucking 1,200 0.30 $22.41 $46,600


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 11,500 0.82 1.30 $20.47 $42,580
Texas 7,980 0.77 1.23 $17.05 $35,460
Florida 7,450 1.04 1.66 $19.44 $40,440
Illinois 7,230 1.30 2.07 $19.62 $40,810
New York 6,740 0.80 1.27 $20.37 $42,380




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)
Alaska 540 1.72 2.74 $16.69 $34,720
Illinois 7,230 1.30 2.07 $19.62 $40,810
Kentucky 1,910 1.10 1.76 $18.48 $38,430
Florida 7,450 1.04 1.66 $19.44 $40,440
California 11,500 0.82 1.30 $20.47 $42,580




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 320 0.20 0.32 $26.52 $55,170
Washington 1,950 0.72 1.14 $24.27 $50,490
Oregon 1,170 0.74 1.18 $23.81 $49,530
Nebraska 210 0.23 0.37 $23.58 $49,040
District of Columbia 30 0.05 0.08 $23.50 $48,890





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-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,240 1.89 3.02 $20.30 $42,210
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 6,810 1.90 3.03 $19.64 $40,840
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 5,020 0.99 1.58 $20.54 $42,720
Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division 3,500 3.58 5.69 $18.67 $38,820
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,400 0.94 1.50 $19.78 $41,140
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 1,680 2.88 4.59 $18.68 $38,850
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,640 0.74 1.18 $17.62 $36,650
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 1,500 0.83 1.32 $18.21 $37,870
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 1,430 1.05 1.67 $23.76 $49,420
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,230 0.72 1.14 $18.98 $39,470




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)
Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division 3,500 3.58 5.69 $18.67 $38,820
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 580 2.93 4.67 $19.65 $40,870
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 1,680 2.88 4.59 $18.68 $38,850
Bellingham, WA 170 2.23 3.55 $22.35 $46,500
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC 610 2.15 3.42 $20.70 $43,070
Anchorage, AK 360 2.15 3.42 $16.92 $35,200
Savannah, GA 300 2.02 3.21 $25.32 $52,660
Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN 1,130 1.93 3.07 $17.53 $36,470
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 6,810 1.90 3.03 $19.64 $40,840
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,240 1.89 3.02 $20.30 $42,210




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)
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 150 0.57 0.91 $30.35 $63,130
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT (8) (8) (8) $29.34 $61,030
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 40 0.36 0.57 $27.89 $58,020
Reading, PA 50 0.29 0.47 $27.35 $56,890
Springfield, MO 70 0.37 0.59 $26.44 $55,000
Yakima, WA 50 0.60 0.95 $26.16 $54,410
Springfield, MA-CT (8) (8) (8) $25.72 $53,490
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 400 0.42 0.67 $25.55 $53,130
Spokane, WA 50 0.23 0.37 $25.53 $53,110
Savannah, GA 300 2.02 3.21 $25.32 $52,660

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 160 0.85 1.36 $17.48 $36,350
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 1.76 2.80 $15.85 $32,960
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 90 0.78 1.24 $19.18 $39,900
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 70 0.29 0.46 $17.10 $35,560
Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area 70 0.53 0.85 $17.69 $36,790

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)
Far Eastern North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 2.19 3.49 (8) (8)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 1.76 2.80 $15.85 $32,960
Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 60 1.56 2.49 $13.46 $28,000
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 30 0.97 1.55 $17.84 $37,100
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 160 0.85 1.36 $17.48 $36,350

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)
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.14 0.23 $23.78 $49,460
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 30 0.21 0.33 $23.47 $48,820
Southcentral Idaho nonmetropolitan area 30 0.46 0.73 $22.94 $47,720
Eastern South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.37 0.58 $22.03 $45,820
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 40 0.22 0.36 $21.93 $45,620


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012