Cargo and Freight Agents Salary
Cargo and Freight Agents in Portland-South Portland, ME make a median of $59,970 a year, or about $28.83 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $58,875 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 54.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Portland-South Portland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 Portland-South Portland
Portland-South Portland sits well above the national pay line for cargo and freight agents, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $52K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,130/month, which is 53.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level cargo and freight agents (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $20K 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 Portland-South Portland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cargo and freight agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 53.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cargo and freight agents typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,956/month. At HUD’s $2,130/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $60K here vs. $52K nationally.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for cargo and freight agents?
Portland-South Portland pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cargo and freight agents make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $59,970 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,270, and experienced cargo and freight agents can clear $69,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,950/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 53.9% 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 Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cargo and freight agents salary is worth about $58,875 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.