# Customs Brokers

> Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/customs-brokers
- SOC code: 13-1041.08
- Career family: Business and finance
- Median annual pay: $80,730 (10th percentile $48,220, 90th percentile $133,720)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.8%
- Openings a year: 32,700
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Compliance officers".

## Interest profile (code CER)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 23 |
| Investigative (I) | 9 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 19 |
| Enterprising (E) | 67 |
| Conventional (C) | 86 |

## What you'd do

- Processing Information (importance 93/100)
- Getting Information (importance 93/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 89/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 86/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 85/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 83/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 80/100)
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others (importance 80/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 79/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 78/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Writing, Complex Problem Solving, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Time Management

## Knowledge

Law and Government, Administrative, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Transportation, Administration and Management, Computers and Electronics, Economics and Accounting, Education and Training, Mathematics

## Also called

Air Export Agent, Air Export Operations Agent, Air Import Agent, Broker, Cargo Agent, Cargo Broker, Cargo Office Agent, CBP Agent (Customs and Border Patrol Agent), CCS (Certified Customs Specialist), Corporate Licensed Broker

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Criminal Justice and Corrections](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4301) (CIP 4301, 1,742 colleges)
- [Health and Medical Administrative Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5107) (CIP 5107, 1,585 colleges)
- [Natural Resources Conservation and Research](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0301) (CIP 0301, 1,081 colleges)
- [Public Health](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5122) (CIP 5122, 836 colleges)
- [Human Resources Management and Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5210) (CIP 5210, 758 colleges)
- [Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0302) (CIP 0302, 204 colleges)
- Environmental Geosciences (CIP 3041, 17 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $143,686 | $11,000 |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Human Resources Management and Services | $74,192 | $112,713 | $12,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $44,456 | $110,204 | not reported |
| [Northwestern University-Illinois](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northwestern-university-illinois-1966) | Human Resources Management and Services | $98,392 | $108,498 | not reported |
| [Calumet College of Saint Joseph](https://www.collegesref.com/college/calumet-college-of-saint-joseph-380) | Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,078 | $106,465 | $20,417 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Human Resources Management and Services | $69,663 | $99,594 | $20,596 |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Human Resources Management and Services | $58,393 | $97,126 | $20,000 |
| [Brigham Young University-Provo BYU Utah](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brigham-young-university-provo-byu-utah-302) | Human Resources Management and Services | $66,527 | $96,354 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Freight Forwarders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/freight-forwarders): $52,260 median pay
- [Cargo and Freight Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cargo-and-freight-agents): $52,260 median pay
- [Customs and Border Protection Officers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/customs-and-border-protection-officers): $76,210 median pay
- [Brokerage Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brokerage-clerks): $65,750 median pay
- [Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/transportation-storage-and-distribution-managers): $107,230 median pay
- [Procurement Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/procurement-clerks): $50,580 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.