Freight Forwarders
Research rates, routings, or modes of transport for shipment of products. Maintain awareness of regulations affecting the international movement of cargo. Make arrangements for additional services, such as storage or inland transportation.
- O*NET-SOC code
43-5011.01 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Freight Forwarders separately. These are the figures for Cargo and Freight Agents (43-5011), its parent occupation.
Median annual wage, U.S.$52,260
Employment, U.S.97,670
Median hourly wage$25.13
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,340 | $45,710 | $52,260 | $63,390 | $79,810 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,020 | $54,890 | 0.77 |
| Alaska | 580 | $52,070 | 2.84 |
| Arizona | 1,840 | $49,880 | 0.90 |
| Arkansas | $50,500 | ||
| California | 17,060 | $57,690 | 1.49 |
| Colorado | 850 | $51,390 | 0.47 |
| Connecticut | 560 | Not available | 0.53 |
| District of Columbia | 60 | $76,250 | 0.13 |
| Florida | 8,110 | $48,520 | 1.30 |
| Georgia | 3,630 | $51,380 | 1.18 |
| Hawaii | 1,760 | $42,400 | 4.45 |
| Idaho | 300 | $45,710 | 0.57 |
| Illinois | 6,110 | $59,750 | 1.60 |
| Indiana | 1,200 | $50,020 | 0.60 |
| Iowa | 660 | $48,370 | 0.67 |
| Kansas | 890 | $42,500 | 0.99 |
| Kentucky | 2,570 | $46,230 | 2.04 |
| Louisiana | 840 | $48,940 | 0.69 |
| Maine | 190 | $50,340 | 0.48 |
| Maryland | 740 | $48,730 | 0.43 |
| Massachusetts | 820 | $58,680 | 0.36 |
| Michigan | 2,150 | $47,940 | 0.78 |
| Minnesota | 1,380 | $58,650 | 0.74 |
| Mississippi | 260 | $49,920 | 0.36 |
| Missouri | 1,410 | $50,840 | 0.76 |
| Montana | 370 | $59,240 | 1.16 |
| Nebraska | 390 | $62,500 | 0.60 |
| Nevada | 490 | $47,000 | 0.51 |
| New Hampshire | 80 | $67,660 | 0.20 |
| New Jersey | 4,280 | $60,210 | 1.59 |
| New Mexico | 110 | $48,910 | 0.20 |
| New York | 5,760 | $60,040 | 0.95 |
| North Carolina | 2,520 | $48,000 | 0.81 |
| North Dakota | 380 | $54,230 | 1.40 |
| Ohio | 2,840 | $49,530 | 0.82 |
| Oklahoma | 300 | $49,940 | 0.28 |
| Oregon | 1,290 | $49,420 | 1.04 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,810 | $49,590 | 0.74 |
| Rhode Island | 140 | $60,310 | 0.43 |
| South Carolina | 1,540 | $57,000 | 1.06 |
| South Dakota | 200 | $64,340 | 0.68 |
| Tennessee | 3,390 | $51,800 | 1.64 |
| Texas | 7,610 | $48,470 | 0.86 |
| Utah | 590 | $52,770 | 0.54 |
| Vermont | 80 | $47,560 | 0.43 |
| Virginia | 1,280 | $49,680 | 0.50 |
| Washington | 2,410 | $60,760 | 1.08 |
| West Virginia | 130 | $49,100 | 0.29 |
| Wisconsin | 1,280 | $57,290 | 0.69 |
| Wyoming | 160 | Not available | 0.92 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 4 | 0.957 |
| 2 | Customs Brokers | 3 | 0.956 |
| 3 | Cargo and Freight Agents | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 4 | Logisticians | 4 | 0.950 |
| 5 | Postmasters and Mail Superintendents | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 6 | First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants | 3 | 0.946 |
| 7 | First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | 3 | 0.943 |
| 8 | Procurement Clerks | 1-2 | 0.939 |
| 9 | Logistics Analysts | 4 | 0.938 |
| 10 | Lodging Managers | 4 | 0.936 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Freight Forwarders, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Sales Agents | Service Orientation | 0.76 | 0.930 |
| Recycling Coordinators | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.88 | 0.928 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers | Management of Personnel Resources | 0.88 | 0.917 |
| Concierges | Service Orientation | 0.88 | 0.914 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Freight Forwarders, excluding software Freight Forwarders already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing software | 4 of 20 | 30.8x |
| Warehouse management system WMS | 5 of 20 | 12.8x |
| Scheduling software | 7 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Inventory management systems | 5 of 20 | 8.0x |
| Materials requirement planning MRP software | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Work scheduling software | 4 of 20 | 7.4x |
| Microsoft Access | 14 of 20 | 1.7x |
| Oracle PeopleSoft | 6 of 20 | 3.5x |
| Microsoft Dynamics | 7 of 20 | 2.7x |
| SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports | 3 of 20 | 7.3x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 4.80 | 4.45 |
| Administrative | 4.59 | 5.69 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.51 | 5.56 |
| Administration and Management | 4.29 | 4.40 |
| English Language | 4.25 | 4.22 |
| Computers and Electronics | 4.03 | 4.19 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.90 | 3.46 |
| Geography | 3.87 | 4.24 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 3.76 | 3.37 |
| Mathematics | 3.59 | 4.31 |
| Telecommunications | 3.56 | 2.96 |
| Economics and Accounting | 3.51 | 3.99 |
| Communications and Media | 3.47 | 3.71 |
| Law and Government | 3.32 | 3.53 |
| Production and Processing | 3.13 | 3.86 |
| Sales and Marketing | 3.07 | 3.58 |
| Education and Training | 2.93 | 3.54 |
| Foreign Language | 2.86 | 2.84 |
| Psychology | 2.46 | 2.48 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.04 | 1.93 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.04 | 1.93 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.02 | 2.78 |
| Chemistry | 1.87 | not rated |
| Design | 1.87 | 1.73 |
| Mechanical | 1.77 | 0.88 |
| History and Archeology | 1.74 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.59 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.58 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.58 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.45 | 0.89 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.43 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.33 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.29 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Written Expression | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Number Facility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Originality | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Memorization | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Depth Perception | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Control Precision | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Reaction Time | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Static Strength | 1.50 | 0.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Rate Control | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Response Orientation | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Stamina | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Night Vision | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Sound Localization | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- AESDirect
- Arcline ArcFreight
- CEDAS Gateway
- CargoWise ediEnterprise
- Email software
- IES Ecellerate
- Kewill Global Trade and Logistics
- Manufacturing resource planning MRP software
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- Order management software
- Package tracking software
- QuestaWeb TradeMaster QW
- RedBerry Logistics
- Riege Software International Procars
- Star Tec Software Hercules Export
- TMW Enterprise Transportation Management Systems
- Tailwind Management Systems Tailwind
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Freight Forwarders separately. These are the figures for Cargo and Freight Agents (43-5011), its parent occupation.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo, TX | 890 | 13.01 | $36,810 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 310 | 6.63 | $42,840 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 1,670 | 4.34 | $55,930 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 980 | 3.49 | $42,080 |
| Green Bay, WI | 370 | 3.39 | $53,820 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 1,310 | 3.05 | $49,480 |
| Anchorage, AK | 330 | 2.99 | $47,910 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 730 | 2.95 | $57,560 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 980 | 2.93 | $45,790 |
| Savannah, GA | 350 | 2.80 | $48,560 |