Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-5011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 56% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $57,490 | 9,020 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $62,590 | 7,020 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $48,420 | 6,300 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,660 | 3,780 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $47,660 | 3,710 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $42,640 | 2,700 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $49,160 | 2,570 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $59,320 | 2,250 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $57,700 | 1,990 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $47,890 | 1,830 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $47,990 | 1,800 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,370 | 1,640 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations.
- Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
- Arrange insurance coverage for goods.
- Install straps, braces, and padding to loads to prevent shifting or damage during shipment.
- 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.
- Check import or export documentation to determine cargo contents and use tariff coding system to classify goods according to fee or tariff group.
- Coordinate and supervise activities of workers engaged in packing and shipping merchandise.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 8
No longer listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| forwarding manager | 3331.2 | close |
| freight transport dispatcher | 4323.6 | broader |
| aircraft cargo operations coordinator | 4323.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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