Cargo and Freight Agents Salary
Cargo and Freight Agents in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA make a median of $44,240 a year, or about $21.27 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $48,244 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 43.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for cargo and freight agents in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $52K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 44.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cargo and freight agentss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cargo and freight agents in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids | $60K | $67K |
| 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, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level cargo and freight agents (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $25K 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cargo and freight agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 44.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cargo and freight agents in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cargo and freight agents typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,484/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $44K here vs. $52K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for cargo and freight agents?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do cargo and freight agents make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $44,240 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,400, and experienced cargo and freight agents can clear $66,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,958/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 44.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cargo and freight agents salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $48,244 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.