Cargo and Freight Agents Salary
Cargo and Freight Agents in Pennsylvania make a median of $49,590 a year, or about $23.84 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $52,216 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 39.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in Pennsylvania?
About cargo and freight agents
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Cargo and freight agents pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $52K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level cargo and freight agents (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Cargo and Freight Agents salary by metro in Pennsylvania
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $60K | +20% | 100 |
| Reading | $59K | +20% | 50 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $51K | +3% | 1,680 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $49K | -1% | 70 |
| York-Hanover | $48K | -3% | 60 |
| Pittsburgh | $46K | -8% | 670 |
Compare to other states
Track cargo and freight agents salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cargo and freight agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cargo and freight agents typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,214/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $52K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for cargo and freight agents?
Pennsylvania pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do cargo and freight agents make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $49,590 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,900, and experienced cargo and freight agents can clear $81,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,364/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $52,216 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.