Cargo and Freight Agents Salary
Cargo and Freight Agents in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA make a median of $59,610 a year, or about $28.66 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $53,985 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 89.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $60K actually covers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 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. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 86.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cargo and freight agents in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $59K | $52K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $61K | $53K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $47K | $44K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $52K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level cargo and freight agents (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $45K 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 annually. We'll email you when San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cargo and freight agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 86.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cargo and freight agents typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,241/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 107% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $60K here vs. $52K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for cargo and freight agents?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cargo and freight agents make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $59,610 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,270, and experienced cargo and freight agents can clear $92,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,006/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 86.9% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (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 $53,985 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.