157 metro areas
Cargo and Freight Agent Salary by City (2026)
Cargo and freight agents earn the most in Hartford, CT, an average of $71,780 a year, against $57,230 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Rapid City, SD ($75,540 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $57,230BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $71,780Hartford, CT
- Best after cost of living
- $75,540Rapid City, SD
- Metro areas
- 157With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for cargo and freight agents
Top 10 metro areas
- Hartford, CT$71,780
- New Haven, CT$71,180
- San Francisco, CA$70,350
- Trenton, NJ$68,490
- Vallejo, CA$68,470
- Fargo, ND-MN$68,450
- Rapid City, SD$67,350
- New York, NY-NJ$65,690
- Sioux Falls, SD-MN$64,670
- Minneapolis, MN-WI$64,580
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $71,780 |
| New Haven, CT | $71,180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $70,350 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $68,490 |
| Vallejo, CA | $68,470 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $68,450 |
| Rapid City, SD | $67,350 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $65,690 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $64,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,580 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Rapid City, SD$67,350 nominal$75,540
- Fargo, ND-MN$68,450 nominal$75,330
- Sioux Falls, SD-MN$64,670 nominal$71,360
- Lincoln, NE$64,360 nominal$70,280
- Hartford, CT$71,780 nominal$69,860
- St. Cloud, MN$61,110 nominal$69,730
- Dothan, AL$57,470 nominal$68,550
- New Haven, CT$71,180 nominal$68,080
- Peoria, IL$61,880 nominal$67,830
- Myrtle Beach, SC$63,210 nominal$67,500
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Rapid City, SD | $75,540 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $75,330 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $71,360 |
| Lincoln, NE | $70,280 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $69,860 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $69,730 |
| Dothan, AL | $68,550 |
| New Haven, CT | $68,080 |
| Peoria, IL | $67,830 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $67,500 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Cargo and Freight Agent salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartford, CT | $71,780 | $52,520 | $81,240 | $69,860 |
| 2 | New Haven, CT | $71,180 | $54,970 | $79,160 | $68,080 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $70,350 | $49,110 | $80,810 | $60,850 |
| 4 | Trenton, NJ | $68,490 | $54,000 | $75,630 | $66,380 |
| 5 | Vallejo, CA | $68,470 | $48,690 | $78,210 | $63,120 |
| 6 | Fargo, ND-MN | $68,450 | $44,300 | $80,350 | $75,330 |
| 7 | Rapid City, SD | $67,350 | $57,430 | $72,240 | $75,540 |
| 8 | New York, NY-NJ | $65,690 | $48,840 | $73,960 | $58,360 |
| 9 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $64,670 | $53,890 | $69,970 | $71,360 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $64,580 | $47,670 | $72,920 | $61,610 |
| 11 | Lincoln, NE | $64,360 | $46,050 | $73,380 | $70,280 |
| 12 | Seattle, WA | $63,840 | $50,690 | $70,300 | $57,440 |
| 13 | Stockton, CA | $63,690 | $43,990 | $73,380 | $60,610 |
| 14 | Albuquerque, NM | $63,650 | $44,910 | $72,900 | $66,620 |
| 15 | San Jose, CA | $63,250 | $47,130 | $71,200 | $57,280 |
| 16 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $63,210 | $49,210 | $70,120 | $67,500 |
| 17 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $62,860 | $45,640 | $71,340 | $57,450 |
| 18 | Los Angeles, CA | $62,340 | $43,760 | $71,490 | $54,890 |
| 19 | Boston, MA-NH | $61,920 | $49,770 | $67,910 | $57,190 |
| 20 | Peoria, IL | $61,880 | $48,650 | $68,390 | $67,830 |
| 21 | Bakersfield, CA | $61,840 | $43,780 | $70,720 | $61,300 |
| 22 | Corpus Christi, TX | $61,610 | $41,890 | $71,320 | $66,480 |
| 23 | Missoula, MT | $61,210 | $46,110 | $68,660 | $63,470 |
| 24 | Syracuse, NY | $61,170 | $47,130 | $68,080 | $63,890 |
| 25 | Fairbanks, AK | $61,130 | $48,210 | $67,520 | $59,230 |
| 26 | St. Cloud, MN | $61,110 | $44,680 | $69,220 | $69,730 |
| 27 | Albany, NY | $61,010 | $47,030 | $67,890 | $61,280 |
| 28 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $60,860 | $45,930 | $68,200 | $66,020 |
| 29 | Salt Lake City, UT | $60,760 | $40,660 | $70,660 | $60,240 |
| 30 | Spartanburg, SC | $60,740 | $49,630 | $66,230 | $66,710 |
| 31 | Sacramento, CA | $60,550 | $43,950 | $68,720 | $56,760 |
| 32 | Providence, RI-MA | $60,510 | $44,570 | $68,350 | $59,460 |
| 33 | Omaha, NE-IA | $60,470 | $45,050 | $68,040 | $65,790 |
| 34 | Greenville, SC | $60,070 | $47,130 | $66,440 | $64,410 |
| 35 | Reading, PA | $59,970 | $45,160 | $67,250 | $61,790 |
| 36 | Tallahassee, FL | $59,970 | $42,930 | $68,370 | $63,850 |
| 37 | Charleston, SC | $59,800 | $46,200 | $66,500 | $59,230 |
| 38 | Harrisburg, PA | $59,740 | $45,200 | $66,910 | $60,560 |
| 39 | Bozeman, MT | $59,550 | $45,410 | $66,500 | $58,090 |
| 40 | Tulsa, OK | $59,510 | $37,900 | $70,160 | $66,700 |
| 41 | Bellingham, WA | $59,470 | $47,630 | $65,290 | $57,550 |
| 42 | Portland, ME | $59,430 | $49,730 | $64,210 | $58,350 |
| 43 | Birmingham, AL | $59,090 | $43,600 | $66,710 | $64,480 |
| 44 | Davenport, IA-IL | $59,010 | $41,370 | $67,680 | $66,240 |
| 45 | Dayton, OH | $58,930 | $42,350 | $67,100 | $63,570 |
| 46 | Spokane, WA | $58,800 | $43,120 | $66,540 | $58,600 |
| 47 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $58,660 | $41,020 | $67,350 | $57,200 |
| 48 | San Diego, CA | $58,570 | $43,490 | $66,020 | $52,350 |
| 49 | Palm Bay, FL | $58,530 | $39,100 | $68,100 | $58,530 |
| 50 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $58,450 | $44,180 | $65,500 | $58,320 |
| 51 | Beaumont, TX | $58,430 | $39,600 | $67,680 | $64,890 |
| 52 | Salinas, CA | $58,280 | $43,100 | $65,750 | $53,450 |
| 53 | Rochester, NY | $58,160 | $43,700 | $65,270 | $59,940 |
| 54 | Chicago, IL-IN | $58,140 | $44,140 | $65,040 | $56,120 |
| 55 | Oxnard, CA | $58,090 | $40,730 | $66,640 | $52,550 |
| 56 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $58,070 | $41,410 | $66,270 | $65,270 |
| 57 | Visalia, CA | $57,950 | $42,830 | $65,420 | $58,050 |
| 58 | Evansville, IN | $57,930 | $40,660 | $66,440 | $63,290 |
| 59 | Akron, OH | $57,890 | $42,560 | $65,440 | $62,000 |
| 60 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $57,840 | $40,290 | $66,480 | $59,060 |
| 61 | Cleveland, OH | $57,720 | $42,790 | $65,080 | $61,450 |
| 62 | Columbus, OH | $57,680 | $44,570 | $64,130 | $60,420 |
| 63 | Nashville, TN | $57,530 | $38,580 | $66,870 | $59,720 |
| 64 | Dothan, AL | $57,470 | $45,610 | $63,320 | $68,550 |
| 65 | Columbia, SC | $57,450 | $46,240 | $62,980 | $61,340 |
| 66 | South Bend, IN-MI | $57,450 | $42,640 | $64,750 | $61,870 |
| 67 | Jackson, MS | $57,410 | $43,580 | $64,210 | $64,470 |
| 68 | Milwaukee, WI | $57,390 | $43,260 | $64,330 | $59,200 |
| 69 | Great Falls, MT | $57,120 | $44,220 | $63,480 | $58,980 |
| 70 | Lake Charles, LA | $57,100 | $34,400 | $68,270 | $66,510 |
| 71 | Bend, OR | $56,930 | $43,100 | $63,750 | $54,950 |
| 72 | Cape Coral, FL | $56,580 | $45,470 | $62,050 | $55,280 |
| 73 | Green Bay, WI | $56,560 | $43,850 | $62,820 | $60,760 |
| 74 | Toledo, OH | $56,470 | $41,370 | $63,920 | $61,750 |
| 75 | Anchorage, AK | $56,390 | $43,530 | $62,710 | $53,490 |
| 76 | Youngstown, OH | $56,260 | $33,220 | $67,600 | $64,380 |
| 77 | Tampa, FL | $56,240 | $41,310 | $63,590 | $55,740 |
| 78 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $56,080 | $41,520 | $63,250 | $51,500 |
| 79 | Lubbock, TX | $55,990 | $40,480 | $63,650 | $61,310 |
| 80 | Kennewick, WA | $55,930 | $45,680 | $60,990 | $55,890 |
| 81 | Indianapolis, IN | $55,910 | $40,140 | $63,670 | $58,420 |
| 82 | Scranton, PA | $55,850 | $42,830 | $62,280 | $59,700 |
| 83 | Fresno, CA | $55,490 | $39,940 | $63,170 | $54,320 |
| 84 | Mobile, AL | $55,470 | $41,640 | $62,300 | $62,960 |
| 85 | Jacksonville, FL | $55,370 | $43,760 | $61,090 | $55,660 |
| 86 | Austin, TX | $55,220 | $42,370 | $61,570 | $56,310 |
| 87 | Madison, WI | $55,220 | $38,880 | $63,290 | $56,760 |
| 88 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $55,160 | $43,560 | $60,880 | $60,310 |
| 89 | Orlando, FL | $55,120 | $39,670 | $62,750 | $54,350 |
| 90 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $55,000 | $34,760 | $64,960 | $57,840 |
| 91 | Denver, CO | $54,870 | $45,450 | $59,530 | $51,870 |
| 92 | Springfield, MA | $54,850 | $47,150 | $58,640 | $57,100 |
| 93 | Atlanta, GA | $54,660 | $36,420 | $63,650 | $54,630 |
| 94 | Greeley, CO | $54,580 | $47,360 | $58,140 | $54,480 |
| 95 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $54,480 | $41,080 | $61,090 | $58,870 |
| 96 | Grand Rapids, MI | $54,450 | $39,750 | $61,670 | $56,990 |
| 97 | Houston, TX | $54,410 | $40,640 | $61,170 | $55,170 |
| 98 | Salem, OR | $54,230 | $45,070 | $58,740 | $52,320 |
| 99 | Portland, OR-WA | $53,960 | $43,200 | $59,240 | $51,190 |
| 100 | Dallas, TX | $53,910 | $40,980 | $60,280 | $52,290 |
| 101 | Fayetteville, AR | $53,870 | $44,140 | $58,660 | $58,970 |
| 102 | Miami, FL | $53,770 | $40,680 | $60,200 | $47,100 |
| 103 | Richmond, VA | $53,770 | $46,530 | $57,350 | $54,950 |
| 104 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $53,730 | $40,640 | $60,170 | $55,190 |
| 105 | Winston, NC | $53,730 | $43,600 | $58,720 | $58,370 |
| 106 | Baton Rouge, LA | $53,460 | $34,420 | $62,840 | $58,890 |
| 107 | New Orleans, LA | $53,390 | $38,000 | $60,990 | $57,660 |
| 108 | Ogden, UT | $53,330 | $37,130 | $61,320 | $53,140 |
| 109 | North Port, FL | $53,190 | $41,790 | $58,800 | $51,930 |
| 110 | Ann Arbor, MI | $53,120 | $43,330 | $57,930 | $52,660 |
| 111 | Reno, NV | $53,000 | $44,740 | $57,050 | $52,470 |
| 112 | Terre Haute, IN | $52,960 | $42,740 | $57,970 | $60,320 |
| 113 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $52,600 | $40,330 | $58,660 | $55,150 |
| 114 | Raleigh, NC | $52,370 | $37,840 | $59,530 | $53,350 |
| 115 | Detroit, MI | $52,350 | $41,450 | $57,720 | $52,190 |
| 116 | Hickory, NC | $52,040 | $38,810 | $58,570 | $58,810 |
| 117 | Provo, UT | $51,980 | $37,230 | $59,260 | $52,920 |
| 118 | Savannah, GA | $51,940 | $40,410 | $57,620 | $54,560 |
| 119 | Phoenix, AZ | $51,920 | $38,480 | $58,550 | $50,250 |
| 120 | Little Rock, AR | $51,900 | $40,120 | $57,720 | $58,080 |
| 121 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $51,830 | $40,370 | $57,470 | $55,690 |
| 122 | Burlington, VT | $51,670 | $44,840 | $55,040 | $51,180 |
| 123 | Riverside, CA | $51,600 | $37,290 | $58,660 | $48,480 |
| 124 | Shreveport, LA | $51,580 | $41,580 | $56,490 | $60,850 |
| 125 | Boise City, ID | $51,520 | $41,230 | $56,580 | $52,360 |
| 126 | York, PA | $51,290 | $35,590 | $59,010 | $53,430 |
| 127 | Las Vegas, NV | $51,210 | $38,380 | $57,530 | $51,100 |
| 128 | Brownsville, TX | $50,940 | $35,670 | $58,450 | $59,250 |
| 129 | Pittsburgh, PA | $50,920 | $35,570 | $58,470 | $53,790 |
| 130 | Medford, OR | $50,710 | $41,930 | $55,040 | $49,990 |
| 131 | San Antonio, TX | $50,480 | $38,040 | $56,620 | $53,300 |
| 132 | Baltimore, MD | $50,440 | $36,520 | $57,300 | $48,270 |
| 133 | Fort Wayne, IN | $50,400 | $35,920 | $57,530 | $54,440 |
| 134 | Pensacola, FL | $50,340 | $36,880 | $56,950 | $51,520 |
| 135 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,250 | $35,260 | $57,640 | $45,290 |
| 136 | Knoxville, TN | $50,170 | $35,380 | $57,450 | $54,200 |
| 137 | Buffalo, NY | $50,000 | $39,440 | $55,200 | $52,170 |
| 138 | Roanoke, VA | $49,960 | $40,680 | $54,540 | $53,370 |
| 139 | Lansing, MI | $49,650 | $41,890 | $53,460 | $52,270 |
| 140 | Des Moines, IA | $49,440 | $41,120 | $53,540 | $53,910 |
| 141 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $49,340 | $38,290 | $54,770 | $57,450 |
| 142 | El Centro, CA | $48,800 | $37,110 | $54,560 | $51,270 |
| 143 | Greensboro, NC | $48,090 | $35,300 | $54,390 | $51,780 |
| 144 | Kahului, HI | $48,090 | $36,920 | $53,600 | $43,960 |
| 145 | Wilmington, NC | $47,740 | $38,150 | $52,460 | $49,510 |
| 146 | Slidell, LA | $47,440 | $26,060 | $57,990 | $51,160 |
| 147 | Daphne, AL | $46,920 | $41,580 | $49,570 | $49,550 |
| 148 | El Paso, TX | $45,220 | $32,780 | $51,330 | $50,290 |
| 149 | Tucson, AZ | $45,030 | $35,610 | $49,670 | $46,470 |
| 150 | Lexington, KY | $44,800 | $39,560 | $47,380 | $48,230 |
| 151 | Saginaw, MI | $44,120 | $37,380 | $47,420 | $48,540 |
| 152 | Oklahoma City, OK | $43,990 | $30,760 | $50,500 | $48,660 |
| 153 | McAllen, TX | $43,680 | $31,220 | $49,800 | $50,850 |
| 154 | Fayetteville, NC | $41,430 | $33,510 | $45,340 | $45,040 |
| 155 | Laredo, TX | $41,330 | $30,560 | $46,630 | $47,530 |
| 156 | Wichita, KS | $36,460 | $26,060 | $41,600 | $40,990 |
| 157 | San Juan, PR | $29,540 | $22,860 | $32,840 | N/A |
More
More on cargo and freight agents
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Cargo and Freight Agent salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays cargo and freight agents the most?
Hartford, CT, where the average (mean) wage is $71,780 a year, followed by New Haven, CT ($71,180), San Francisco, CA ($70,350), Trenton, NJ ($68,490). The national mean is $57,230 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do cargo and freight agents earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Rapid City, SD ($75,540 at national prices, $67,350 nominal), Fargo, ND-MN ($75,330 at national prices, $68,450 nominal), Sioux Falls, SD-MN ($71,360 at national prices, $64,670 nominal).
How much do cargo and freight agents make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $65,690; Los Angeles, CA: $62,340; Chicago, IL-IN: $58,140; Dallas, TX: $53,910; Houston, TX: $54,410 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do cargo and freight agents earn the least?
Of the 157 metro areas with their own estimate, San Juan, PR has the lowest mean wage, $29,540.