# Freight Forwarders

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/freight-forwarders
- SOC code: 43-5011.01
- Career family: Office and administrative support
- Median annual pay: $52,260 (10th percentile $38,340, 90th percentile $79,810)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +6.2%
- Openings a year: 9,000
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Cargo and freight agents".

## Interest profile (code CER)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 42 |
| Investigative (I) | 26 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 14 |
| Enterprising (E) | 49 |
| Conventional (C) | 77 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 87/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 85/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 83/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 82/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 81/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 77/100)
- Scheduling Work and Activities (importance 77/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 77/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 76/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 75/100)

## Skills

Coordination, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Negotiation, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Time Management

## Knowledge

Transportation, Administrative, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security, Geography, Personnel and Human Resources, Mathematics

## Also called

Air Cargo Agent, Air Export Agent, Air Export Clerk, Air Export Coordinator, Air Freight Forwarder, Cargo Agent, Domestic Freight Forwarder, Export Clerk, Export Coordinator, Export Freight Clerk

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

- [Business Operations Support and Assistant Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5204) (CIP 5204, 758 colleges)

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

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Bellevue University-Nebraska](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bellevue-university-nebraska-206) | Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | $67,452 | $83,581 | $19,499 |
| [Valdosta State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/valdosta-state-university-3105) | Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | $42,670 | $60,715 | $25,991 |

## Related careers

- [Cargo and Freight Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cargo-and-freight-agents): $52,260 median pay
- [Customs Brokers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/customs-brokers): $80,730 median pay
- [Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/shipping-receiving-and-inventory-clerks): $45,260 median pay
- [Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aircraft-cargo-handling-supervisors): $58,170 median pay
- [Postal Service Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/postal-service-clerks): $62,130 median pay
- [Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dispatchers-except-police-fire-and-ambulance): $50,340 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.