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Hiring a cargo and freight agent in Columbus, OH

Employers in the Columbus, OH area pay cargo and freight agents a median of $50,210, with the middle half of the market between $48,330 and $62,900. Columbus residents working in office and administrative support occupations report a median of $40,759, which is 19% below what the metro pays for this role.

What does a cargo and freight agent earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Columbus, OH area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile$48,330
Median$50,210
75th percentile$62,900

Half of cargo and freight agents in this area earn between $48,330 and $62,900. A band set below $48,330 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Columbus residents earn

$40,759

Median earnings of Columbus residents working in office and administrative support occupations, 56,376 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 19% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside Columbus rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

  • Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.
  • Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.
  • Track delivery progress of shipments.
  • Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
  • Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 43-5011.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Transportation management system TMS software, SAP software, Brokerage software.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Columbus?

This is a job zone two: some preparation needed occupation. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 38.2% of Columbus adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Columbus commute runs 21.8 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 16.1% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Delaware County, administrative and support services employs 3,410 and turns over 10.7% a quarter, with 974 hires against 900 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $5,426 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 56.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about cargo and freight agents. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $10,042 to $15,063 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring a cargo and freight agent somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other office and administrative support roles in Columbus

Related

Columbus is the largest of 4 Ohio cities in this dataset.