Pros
It's logical - it makes sense. You go through a whole process for each booking and when it releases/sails you know your job is done.
What is a Freight Forwarder?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a freight forwarder. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.37 an hour? That's $38,215 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 46,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Freight Forwarder Do
There are certain skills that many freight forwarders have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, customer-service skills and detail oriented.
How To Become a Freight Forwarder
If you're interested in becoming a freight forwarder, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 48.1% of freight forwarders have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.3% of freight forwarders have master's degrees. Even though most freight forwarders have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Freight Forwarder Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of logistics coordinator you might progress to a role such as logistics manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title operations manager.
Freight Forwarder
Operations Manager
7 Years
Terminal Manager
9 Years
Business Manager
6 Years
Logistics Manager
7 Years
Accounts Receivable Manager
6 Years
Import Manager
5 Years
Average Salary for a Freight Forwarder
Freight Forwarders in America make an average salary of $38,215 per year or $18 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $54,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $27,000 per year.
Average Freight Forwarder Salary
$38,215 Yearly$18.37 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Freight Forwarder
There are several types of freight forwarder, including:
Cargo Agent
Role:
A cargo agent is one of the most important parties involved in ocean freight. This agent advises on different relevant destination charges. He/she pays taxes, tariffs, and duties on behalf of the cargo owner. The cargo agent monitors the movement of the goods and cooperates with the port authorities during goods inspection. Plus, he/she keeps and presents the necessary documents like the packing list, commercial invoice, etc., to the customs authority.
Since a cargo agent handles import, export, and cross trades shipments, he/she or she needs strategic skills, organizational skills, management skills, business skills, networking skills, multitasking skills, and logistics skills. You must secure at least a high school diploma to work as a cargo agent. Most of these agents, however, learn about their duties informally, through training. A cargo agent earns an average of $28,473 annually, and that is $14 per hour.
- Average Salary: $35,411
- Degree: High School Diploma
Export Coordinator
Role:
An export coordinator sees the export process from the start to the end. They serve as middlemen between suppliers, forwarders, and agents to obtain the latest shipment information. Export coordinators also prepare bills and documents needed for shipping. It is their responsibility to communicate policies, shipping options, and other information to the clients.
You will often need to verify documents submitted by clients and provide the transportation companies with vital information to meet the needs of the customers. As an expert coordinator, you may be required to settle disputes and issues related to missing or damaged items, shipping delays, and other issues that may arise during the shipping process.
The minimum requirement for this position is a bachelor's degree or a high school diploma in business management or business administration. Besides this, you must possess good interpersonal skills, be organized, confident, and communicate effectively with clients. Export coordinators earn an average annual salary of $43,257.
- Average Salary: $43,911
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Import Coordinator
Role:
Import coordinators are responsible for overseeing the delivery of incoming goods and ensuring that they comply with customs regulations. They do this by tracking and documenting shipments, advising clients, categorizing shipments by tariff coding system, and using appropriate packaging to prepare items for shipment. Import coordinators earn an average salary of $39,000 annually or roughly $19 per hour.
Import coordinators are in charge of the logistics of transporting goods into the country. They administer the delivery of all cargo and process all custom releases. They also ensure work is done within a required timeframe and assist supervisors to resolve transaction issues. They are also responsible for providing optimal customer services to all clients and maintaining status reports for all shipments.
Import coordinators typically hold a bachelor's degree in global business management, international finance, or other related fields. They are expected to possess excellent communication skills and be able to speak a foreign language. Some employers also prefer candidates with a deep understanding of the global economy.
- Average Salary: $46,843
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Freight Forwarder Jobs
Number Of Freight Forwarder Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 531 | $40,863 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 442 | $41,533 |
| 3 | Texas | 346 | $41,096 |
| 4 | New York | 322 | $46,515 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 273 | $40,354 |
| 6 | Florida | 260 | $34,740 |
| 7 | Georgia | 257 | $37,893 |
| 8 | Illinois | 248 | $39,494 |
| 9 | Ohio | 229 | $40,664 |
| 10 | Michigan | 202 | $39,547 |
| 11 | Washington | 149 | $40,865 |
| 12 | Maryland | 133 | $39,180 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 124 | $34,618 |
| 14 | Virginia | 122 | $39,326 |
| 15 | Missouri | 114 | $30,332 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 113 | $39,914 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 110 | $40,701 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | 106 | $41,516 |
| 19 | Colorado | 105 | $36,389 |
| 20 | Indiana | 102 | $38,592 |
| 21 | Arizona | 98 | $38,242 |
| 22 | Oregon | 87 | $41,301 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 87 | $39,252 |
| 24 | Connecticut | 85 | $41,888 |
| 25 | Alabama | 77 | $37,849 |
| 26 | Utah | 77 | $36,704 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 74 | $39,072 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 70 | $37,692 |
| 29 | Louisiana | 59 | $30,932 |
| 30 | Kansas | 56 | $38,386 |
| 31 | Iowa | 56 | $38,723 |
| 32 | Kentucky | 49 | $33,592 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 45 | $39,630 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | 39 | $42,765 |
| 35 | Idaho | 38 | $40,580 |
| 36 | Maine | 35 | $42,700 |
| 37 | Mississippi | 35 | $30,716 |
| 38 | Nevada | 29 | $32,425 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | 24 | $33,095 |
| 40 | Nebraska | 23 | $30,303 |
| 41 | New Mexico | 20 | $41,010 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 17 | $36,464 |
| 43 | Delaware | 17 | $33,149 |
| 44 | Montana | 17 | $29,779 |
| 45 | Vermont | 15 | $40,012 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 15 | $34,638 |
| 47 | Alaska | 14 | $34,432 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 11 | $39,150 |
| 49 | South Dakota | 9 | $30,309 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 8 | $37,337 |
Top Skills For a Freight Forwarder
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 23.3% of freight forwarders listed supply chain on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and customer-service skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Freight Forwarder Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Freight Forwarder templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Freight Forwarder resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Freight Forwarder diversity
Freight Forwarder Gender Distribution
Male
55%
Female
45%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among freight forwarders, 44.9% of them are women, while 55.1% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among freight forwarders is White, which makes up 44.5% of all freight forwarders.
- The most common foreign language among freight forwarders is Spanish at 32.0%.
Online Courses For Freight Forwarder That You May Like
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How Do Freight Forwarders Rate Their Jobs?
Freight Forwarder Reviews
Cons
Mostly sitting, repetitive
Top Freight Forwarder Employers
Most Common Employers For Freight Forwarder
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UPS | $47,736 | $22.95 | 5 |
| 2 | Razor | $45,091 | $21.68 | 2 |
| 3 | CEVA Logistics | $43,727 | $21.02 | 3 |
| 4 | JAS Worldwide | $42,079 | $20.23 | 3 |
| 5 | FedEx | $41,229 | $19.82 | 2 |
| 6 | Expeditors | $41,028 | $19.73 | 2 |
| 7 | Cargill | $40,812 | $19.62 | 3 |
| 8 | Livingston International | $40,754 | $19.59 | 2 |
| 9 | Direct Transport Services | $39,669 | $19.07 | 2 |
| 10 | Kintetsu World Express, Inc. | $39,477 | $18.98 | 2 |
Freight Forwarder Videos
What Is Freight Forwarding?
What is a Freight Forwarder? Part 1
What is a Freight Forwarder? Part 1
Becoming a Freight Forwarder FAQs
Freight Forwarder Vs. Broker
A freight forwarder arranges the shipping of freight for customers, while a broker or freight broker coordinates the connection between shippers and carriers but does not handle freight directly.
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.