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The differences between ramp agents and cargo agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cargo agent has an average salary of $35,411, which is higher than the $30,721 average annual salary of a ramp agent.
The top three skills for a ramp agent include safety procedures, loaders and service aircraft. The most important skills for a cargo agent are security procedures, data entry, and customer service.
| Ramp Agent | Cargo Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $30,721 | $35,411 |
| Hourly rate | $14.77 | $17.02 |
| Growth rate | - | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 26,619 | 27,874 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A ramp agent is an individual responsible for the loading and unloading of aircraft baggage, which includes mail and cargo, from the aircraft to the airport. He/She drives and operates ground equipment such as cargo carts and belt loaders while maintaining safe working conditions for himself and others. Other than loading and unloading baggage, a ramp agent guides planes to and from their gates and performs other airplane servicing duties. A ramp agent should be able to work in extreme conditions and pass a physical agility test.
A cargo agent is primarily in charge of facilitating cargo shipments, ensuring the cargo gets to their destination timely and accurately. They are responsible for preparing and processing the necessary documents and fees, routing shipments and arranging the shipping methods, weighing the parcels, and coordinating the logistics and transportation details. They also negotiate postal and shipping rates, prepare invoices, and maintain records of all transactions and necessary information. Moreover, a cargo agent communicates with clients to answer inquiries, notify them of any delays, and provide updates regularly.
Ramp agents and cargo agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ramp Agent | Cargo Agent | |
| Average salary | $30,721 | $35,411 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | California |
| Best paying company | FedEx | United Service Technologies |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a ramp agent and a cargo agent in terms of educational background:
| Ramp Agent | Cargo Agent | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between ramp agents' and cargo agents' demographics:
| Ramp Agent | Cargo Agent | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.3% Female, 17.7% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 12% | 11% |