Shipper vs freight forwarder

The differences between shippers and freight forwarders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a freight forwarder has an average salary of $38,215, which is higher than the $33,233 average annual salary of a shipper.

The top three skills for a shipper include pallets, basic math and math. The most important skills for a freight forwarder are supply chain, customer service, and booking.

Shipper vs freight forwarder overview

	Shipper	Freight Forwarder
Yearly salary	$33,233	$38,215
Hourly rate	$15.98	$18.37
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	169,934	6,961
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	-

Shipper vs freight forwarder salary

Shippers and freight forwarders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Shipper	Freight Forwarder
Average salary	$33,233	$38,215
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Wausau, WI	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	Nucor	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between shipper and freight forwarder education

There are a few differences between a shipper and a freight forwarder in terms of educational background:

	Shipper	Freight Forwarder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Shipper vs freight forwarder demographics

Here are the differences between shippers' and freight forwarders' demographics:

	Shipper	Freight Forwarder
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 18.0% White, 44.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	11%

Differences between shipper and freight forwarder duties and responsibilities

Shipper example responsibilities.

Pack and ship gift packages via USPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.
Use of drill press, wood see, nail gun, ginder, and stencils.
Prepare loads for LTL shipments.
Work with the USPS to ship packages internationally.
Process and schedule all shipments including LTL (less than truckload) and small package.
Review and assemble products order, create shipping labels, and deliver products to customers via UPS/FEDEX or DHL systems.

Freight forwarder example responsibilities.

Maintain relationships with customs brokers and freight forwarders and assist in reviewing such service providers.
Book material RO/RO, LCL, and FCL loads on ocean line carrier for international delivery.
Maintain TSA clearance in order to ship freight on passenger airlines.
Use LogiSuite to create airway bills & TSA documents for cargo exports.
Communicate with U.S. Customs and FDA officials when necessary to expedite the exam process.
Negotiate rates and contracts with air freight agents as well as LTL and FTL base carriers

Shipper vs freight forwarder skills

Common shipper skills

Pallets, 12%
Basic Math, 10%
Math, 8%
Shipping Receiving, 6%
Electric Pallet Jack, 6%
Safety Standards, 5%

Common freight forwarder skills

Supply Chain, 23%
Customer Service, 18%
Booking, 14%
Import Export, 8%
Delivery Orders, 6%
AES, 6%