How much do freight brokers make in 2026?
Freight brokers are counted in the BLS cargo and freight agents series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 43-5011 national median at $52,260 a year ($25.13 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $38,340 and the top 10% at $79,810. That series is a poor description of brokerage earnings and it is worth saying why. Broker and agent compensation is typically a base salary plus commission on the gross margin generated — the spread between what the customer pays and what the carrier is paid — so income scales with the size and quality of the book a broker builds. New brokers on a training salary sit near the bottom of this band; established brokers with a portfolio of shippers can earn multiples of its top decile, and independent agents operating under another company's authority keep a larger commission share while carrying their own costs. Operating as a broker rather than an agent requires federal property broker authority and a surety bond, which is the structural barrier that keeps most people working as agents inside brokerages. The work itself is sales, negotiation and problem-solving under time pressure, and the failure rate in the first two years is high. Employment is projected to grow 8.5% through 2034 with roughly 8,800 openings a year. → Full freight broker career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $52,260 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Freight Brokers earn a national median $52,260/yr ($25.13/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-5011); the P10 to P90 range is $38,340 to $79,810.
- The BLS cargo and freight agents series shows a $52,260 median inside a $38,340 to $79,810 band, but it describes wage employment rather than commission-driven brokerage income.
- Broker pay is typically base plus commission on gross margin, so earnings scale with the book of business — established brokers can exceed the top decile substantially, and new ones sit near the bottom.
- Operating as a broker rather than an agent requires federal property broker authority and a surety bond, which is why most people work as agents inside an existing brokerage.
US Freight Broker Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do freight brokers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 43-5011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-5011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a freight broker earn at each career stage?
Broker earnings scale with the book of business rather than with tenure. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 43-5011, which understates commissioned brokers.
By State
Which states pay freight brokers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations, and they should be treated loosely for a commission occupation. Brokerage clusters around freight hubs and established brokerage centres, where carrier relationships and talent concentrate, but the work is increasingly performed remotely.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($60,100), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay freight brokers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Historic brokerage centres offer the strongest training environments and carrier networks, which matters more to a new broker's eventual income than any local wage premium.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a freight broker’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does freight broker pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Freight Brokers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify freight broker wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a freight broker actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Freight Broker Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Freight Broker career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring freight brokers?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Freight Broker
Everything for freight brokers in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full freight broker cluster.