How much do import/export coordinators make in 2026?
Import and export coordinators 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. The role is the operational centre of international shipping: booking ocean and air freight, preparing and checking commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and export documentation, applying incoterms correctly so that responsibility and cost sit where the contract says, coordinating with customs brokers and forwarders, tracking shipments and managing delays, and keeping trade records for audit. Pay separates on the compliance side of that list. Coordinators who understand tariff classification basics, free trade agreement documentation, export control screening — restricted party lists, licence determination and end-use questions — and recordkeeping obligations progress toward trade compliance roles that pay well above this band. Those who remain purely operational sit in its middle. The practical decision for anyone in the role is which direction to specialise: freight operations and forwarding, or trade compliance and customs, where licensure and expertise carry a larger premium. Employment is projected to grow 8.5% through 2034 with roughly 8,800 openings a year. → Full import/export coordinator 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.
- Import/Export Coordinators 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.
- Import and export coordinators sit in the middle of the BLS cargo and freight agents band of $38,340 to $79,810, with a $52,260 median.
- Compliance capability is the pay lever: tariff classification basics, free trade agreement documentation, export control screening and recordkeeping move a coordinator toward better-paid trade compliance roles.
- The role sits at a career fork — freight operations and forwarding on one side, trade compliance and customs licensure on the other, with the compliance path carrying the higher ceiling.
US Import/Export Coordinator Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do import/export coordinators 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 an import/export coordinator earn at each career stage?
Coordinator pay follows compliance knowledge and the complexity of trade handled. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 43-5011.
By State
Which states pay import/export coordinators 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. Trade coordination pay follows the employer's international footprint: manufacturers and distributors with substantial import and export volumes and regulated products pay above companies with occasional international shipments.
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 import/export coordinators the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Port, border and air gateway metros concentrate both forwarders and importer trade functions, which is where the roles with genuine compliance progression are found.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an import/export coordinator’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 import/export coordinator pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Import/Export Coordinators 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 import/export coordinator wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an import/export coordinator 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
Import/Export Coordinator Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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