Cargo lead vs cargo agent

The differences between cargo leads and cargo agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cargo lead has an average salary of $62,842, which is higher than the $35,411 average annual salary of a cargo agent.

The top three skills for a cargo lead include cargo operations, computer system and air cargo. The most important skills for a cargo agent are security procedures, data entry, and customer service.

Cargo lead vs cargo agent overview

	Cargo Lead	Cargo Agent
Yearly salary	$62,842	$35,411
Hourly rate	$30.21	$17.02
Growth rate	6%	1%
Number of jobs	2,181	27,874
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	44	43
Years of experience	2	-

Cargo lead vs cargo agent salary

Cargo leads and cargo agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cargo Lead	Cargo Agent
Average salary	$62,842	$35,411
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $130,000	Between $27,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	San Diego, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	United Service Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between cargo lead and cargo agent education

There are a few differences between a cargo lead and a cargo agent in terms of educational background:

	Cargo Lead	Cargo Agent
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cargo lead vs cargo agent demographics

Here are the differences between cargo leads' and cargo agents' demographics:

	Cargo Lead	Cargo Agent
Average age	44	43
Gender ratio	Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8%	Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 26.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 27.5% Asian, 14.1% White, 44.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	11%

Differences between cargo lead and cargo agent duties and responsibilities

Cargo lead example responsibilities.

Manage payroll for individuals, and administrative duties to include counseling and mentoring individuals to maximum potential.
Manage payroll for individuals, and administrative duties to include counseling and mentoring individuals to maximum potential.
Attain a grind security coordinator (GSC) status.

Cargo agent example responsibilities.

Manage and carry out specific program and regulatory activities such as enforcing hazmat and weight restrictions.
Maintain compliance issues relate to TSA, FAA, and cargo operations for several major airlines.
Handle various amounts of freight including both FTL, LTL, dry, refrigerate, flatb, and intermodal.
Practice safe conscious behaviors in all operational processes and procedures by adhering to strict TSA, IATA, and DCOM regulations.
Set up containers for USPS mail.
Handle accounts that require FDA clearance.

Cargo lead vs cargo agent skills

Common cargo lead skills

Cargo Operations, 45%
Computer System, 29%
Air Cargo, 26%

Common cargo agent skills

Security Procedures, 18%
Data Entry, 17%
Customer Service, 8%
Freight Shipments, 7%
Computer System, 7%
Air Freight, 4%

Updated January 8, 2025

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