Couriers and Messengers
Median $39,200
Occupation · SOC 43-5011
Cargo and Freight Agents: pay and where the jobs are
What cargo and freight agents earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$52,260 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $57,230
- Median hourly wage
- $25.13
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.52
- Employment
- 97,670
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-5011.
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See where your pay falls among cargo and freight agents nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do cargo and freight agents make?
The median annual wage for cargo and freight agents was $52,260 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,340 and the highest-paid 10% more than $79,810. As an hourly rate, the median is $25.13. About 97,670 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in District of Columbia ($76,250), New Hampshire ($67,660) and South Dakota ($64,340). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in South Dakota.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for cargo and freight agents looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,340 | $18.43 | $3,195 | $2,749 |
| 25th percentile | $45,710 | $21.98 | $3,809 | $3,242 |
| Median | $52,260 | $25.13 | $4,355 | $3,681 |
| 75th percentile | $63,390 | $30.48 | $5,283 | $4,426 |
| 90th percentile | $79,810 | $38.37 | $6,651 | $5,415 |
Cargo and Freight Agents: pay by state
51 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$60,819 take-home in national prices
2
$55,974 take-home in national prices
3
$54,173 take-home in national prices
Where a median cargo and freight agent paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 60 | $76,250 | $53,490 | $84,700 | $58,959 | $53,647 |
| New Hampshire | 80 | $67,660 | $41,190 | $85,140 | $56,429 | $54,173 |
| South Dakota | 200 | $64,340 | $49,730 | $80,160 | $53,877 | $60,819 |
| Nebraska | 390 | $62,500 | $40,630 | $82,200 | $50,435 | $55,974 |
| Washington | 2,410 | $60,760 | $48,330 | $82,290 | $50,158 | $46,871 |
| Rhode Island | 140 | $60,310 | $39,530 | $91,650 | $48,331 | $47,254 |
| New Jersey | 4,280 | $60,210 | $47,630 | $77,750 | $48,337 | $44,425 |
| New York | 5,760 | $60,040 | $40,590 | $82,820 | $47,486 | $44,001 |
| Illinois | 6,110 | $59,750 | $40,030 | $80,580 | $47,376 | $47,396 |
| Montana | 370 | $59,240 | $39,380 | $80,270 | $47,752 | $50,454 |
| Massachusetts | 820 | $58,680 | $49,240 | $75,860 | $46,345 | $43,823 |
| Minnesota | 1,380 | $58,650 | $46,790 | $74,480 | $46,582 | $47,234 |
| California | 17,060 | $57,690 | $38,430 | $83,060 | $46,283 | $41,802 |
| Wisconsin | 1,280 | $57,290 | $40,010 | $74,160 | $46,277 | $49,181 |
| South Carolina | 1,540 | $57,000 | $46,220 | $77,530 | $46,516 | $49,617 |
| Alabama | 1,020 | $54,890 | $40,040 | $83,510 | $44,000 | $49,537 |
| North Dakota | 380 | $54,230 | $38,530 | $98,960 | $45,754 | $51,432 |
| Utah | 590 | $52,770 | $37,370 | $92,670 | $42,749 | $43,240 |
| Alaska | 580 | $52,070 | $43,740 | $80,170 | $43,758 | $42,749 |
| Tennessee | 3,390 | $51,800 | $36,720 | $85,560 | $43,801 | $47,677 |
| Colorado | 850 | $51,390 | $43,940 | $72,760 | $41,693 | $40,458 |
| Georgia | 3,630 | $51,380 | $31,440 | $75,880 | $41,648 | $43,252 |
| Missouri | 1,410 | $50,840 | $33,660 | $81,770 | $41,578 | $45,782 |
| Arkansas | Not published | $50,500 | $31,350 | $67,460 | $41,376 | $47,593 |
| Maine | 190 | $50,340 | $45,520 | $67,100 | $40,656 | $41,892 |
| Indiana | 1,200 | $50,020 | $37,710 | $85,130 | $40,925 | $43,850 |
| Oklahoma | 300 | $49,940 | $31,200 | $80,620 | $40,605 | $46,225 |
| Mississippi | 260 | $49,920 | $35,360 | $70,530 | $41,026 | $47,182 |
| Arizona | 1,840 | $49,880 | $36,950 | $70,010 | $41,405 | $41,127 |
| Virginia | 1,280 | $49,680 | $40,190 | $75,010 | $40,055 | $39,618 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,810 | $49,590 | $36,900 | $81,970 | $40,468 | $41,475 |
| Ohio | 2,840 | $49,530 | $39,200 | $80,680 | $41,059 | $44,257 |
| Oregon | 1,290 | $49,420 | $43,730 | $74,560 | $38,433 | $37,183 |
| West Virginia | 130 | $49,100 | $36,920 | $75,650 | $40,226 | $44,946 |
| Louisiana | 840 | $48,940 | $27,230 | $73,360 | $40,421 | $45,826 |
| New Mexico | 110 | $48,910 | $38,190 | $81,180 | $40,343 | $43,751 |
| Maryland | 740 | $48,730 | $35,230 | $70,580 | $39,386 | $37,525 |
| Florida | 8,110 | $48,520 | $37,990 | $75,610 | $41,166 | $39,807 |
| Texas | 7,610 | $48,470 | $35,480 | $73,120 | $41,126 | $42,373 |
| Iowa | 660 | $48,370 | $38,610 | $75,300 | $39,859 | $45,417 |
| North Carolina | 2,520 | $48,000 | $35,990 | $68,410 | $39,342 | $41,708 |
| Michigan | 2,150 | $47,940 | $38,950 | $71,950 | $38,913 | $40,443 |
| Vermont | 80 | $47,560 | $42,160 | $61,320 | $39,235 | $40,053 |
| Nevada | 490 | $47,000 | $38,360 | $70,960 | $39,945 | $39,953 |
| Kentucky | 2,570 | $46,230 | $39,280 | $75,320 | $37,825 | $41,954 |
| Idaho | 300 | $45,710 | $39,830 | $71,170 | $37,594 | $39,368 |
| Kansas | 890 | $42,500 | $26,050 | $60,480 | $34,757 | $38,590 |
| Hawaii | 1,760 | $42,400 | $34,540 | $68,380 | $34,548 | $31,421 |
| Guam | 60 | $38,360 | $25,710 | $61,480 | — | — |
| Virgin Islands | Not published | $29,400 | $29,390 | $42,950 | — | — |
| Puerto Rico | 300 | $28,600 | $21,840 | $38,580 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-5011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.