Cargo and Freight Agents Salary
Cargo and Freight Agents in Cedar Rapids, IA make a median of $59,570 a year, or about $28.64 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $66,963 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 24.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $60K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cargo and freight agents
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids sits well above the national pay line for cargo and freight agents, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $52K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 24.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Cedar Rapids offers a genuinely strong financial position for cargo and freight agentss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cargo and freight agents in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $44K | $48K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $65K | $72K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $60K | $58K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $60K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level cargo and freight agents (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Cargo and Freight Agents pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cargo and Freight Agents salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $76K | +46% | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $68K | +29% | 80 |
| South Dakota | $64K | +23% | 200 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +20% | 390 |
| Washington | $61K | +16% | 2,410 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +15% | 140 |
| New Jersey | $60K | +15% | 4,280 |
| New York | $60K | +15% | 5,760 |
| Illinois | $60K | +14% | 6,110 |
| Montana | $59K | +13% | 370 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +12% | 820 |
| Minnesota | $59K | +12% | 1,380 |
| California | $58K | +10% | 17,060 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | +10% | 1,280 |
| South Carolina | $57K | +9% | 1,540 |
| Alabama | $55K | +5% | 1,020 |
| North Dakota | $54K | +4% | 380 |
| Utah | $53K | +1% | 590 |
| Alaska | $52K | -0% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $52K | -1% | 3,390 |
| Colorado | $51K | -2% | 850 |
| Georgia | $51K | -2% | 3,630 |
| Missouri | $51K | -3% | 1,410 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -3% | N/A |
| Maine | $50K | -4% | 190 |
| Indiana | $50K | -4% | 1,200 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -4% | 300 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -4% | 260 |
| Arizona | $50K | -5% | 1,840 |
| Virginia | $50K | -5% | 1,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | -5% | 2,810 |
| Ohio | $50K | -5% | 2,840 |
| Oregon | $49K | -5% | 1,290 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -6% | 130 |
| Louisiana | $49K | -6% | 840 |
| New Mexico | $49K | -6% | 110 |
| Maryland | $49K | -7% | 740 |
| Florida | $49K | -7% | 8,110 |
| Texas | $48K | -7% | 7,610 |
| Iowa | $48K | -7% | 660 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -8% | 2,520 |
| Michigan | $48K | -8% | 2,150 |
| Vermont | $48K | -9% | 80 |
| Nevada | $47K | -10% | 490 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -12% | 2,570 |
| Idaho | $46K | -13% | 300 |
| Kansas | $43K | -19% | 890 |
| Hawaii | $42K | -19% | 1,760 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cargo and freight agents salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cargo and freight agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 24.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for cargo and freight agents in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cargo and freight agents typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,196/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cargo and freight agent a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $60K here vs. $52K nationally.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for cargo and freight agents?
Cedar Rapids pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cargo and freight agents make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $59,570 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,600, and experienced cargo and freight agents can clear $77,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,911/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 24.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a cargo and freight agents salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cargo and freight agents salary is worth about $66,963 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cargo and freight agents get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.