Average Earnings

• For its survey of National employment trends conducted in May 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classified freight brokers in the category of cargo and fright agents. The mean annual salary for this occupational classification is $39,020, which translates to a monthly wage of $3,252. From the bureau's figures, the top 10 percent of earners received in excess of $4,867 per month, while their counterparts in the bottom 10 percent earned less than $1,843 monthly.
  
  

Earnings by Industry

• Salary levels for cargo and freight brokers can also vary depending on which sector of the industry they work within. The bureau's analysis revealed that the largest number of brokers worked within freight transportation arrangement, which had a mean monthly salary of $3,363. Individuals employed within support activities for water transportation earned a mean of $4,722, while those in support activities for air transportation received $2,289. Brokers working for courier and express delivery services earned a mean of $3,145.
  
  

Earnings by Geography

• The bureau's figures also allow comparisons for the monthly salaries of freight brokers based in different states. The highest pay levels were in Connecticut -- a mean of $4,558 per month. Wyoming and Washington completed the top three at $4,142 and $4,096, respectively. Texas and Kentucky had similar pay rates -- $3,093 and $3,028, respectively -- while Florida had a monthly mean of just $2,691.
  
  

Outlook

• The bureau predicts that the employment market for freight brokers and other cargo agents will increase by around 24 percent through 2018. This is significantly faster growth than estimated for the entire nation across all occupations -- posited between 7 and 13 percent for the same period. Increases in the volume of goods needing transportation engendered by a growing economy and a growth in online commerce requiring delivery of goods will be primary motivations for this increase. As a result, freight brokers should continue to be well-compensated for their services.