Supply Chain+8% demand growthMedium AI risk

Freight Broker Salary 2026

Match freight shippers with carriers to negotiate rates and coordinate shipments.

Load BoardsDATCarrier RelationsNegotiationTMS
Median salary
$83K
New York ยท national ref
P75 target
$103K+
top 25% earners
Total comp
$117K
base + bonus + equity
10-yr job growth
+8%
estimated
โ†‘
Highest-paying skill: Load Boards+$3K/yr
๐Ÿ›ก
AI / automation risk: Medium (45%)โ€” some risk, upskill advised
๐Ÿ“Š
Demand growth: +8%/yr ยท High Risk outlook
โœ“

Salary data from BLS OEWS โ€” 1.1M employer payroll records. Not self-reported. Updated daily.

New York ยท Median 2026

$82,621

per year ยท BLS OEWS verified

Entry (P10)$54,120
P25$66,145
Median (P50)$82,621
P75 Target$103,202
Senior (P90)$126,131

P50 as % of P90 range

See take-home pay โ†’

How much does a Freight Broker make?

The median Freight Broker salary is about $68K/year (~$33/hour) nationally, from BLS employer payroll data โ€” not self-reports. Most earn between $54K and $85K; top earners (90th percentile) make $104K or more.

$45K
Entry (P10)
$68K
Median (P50)
$85K
Top 25% (P75)
$104K
Top 10% (P90)
How much does a Freight Broker make?

The median Freight Broker salary is about $68K per year (roughly $33/hour) nationally, based on BLS employer payroll data. Most earn between $54K and $85K, while top earners make $104K or more.

What is a good salary for a Freight Broker?

Earning around the median ($68K) is solid, and $85K+ puts you in the top 25% for the role. What counts as "good" also depends on your city's cost of living and your experience level.

Which cities pay Freight Brokers the most?

High-cost technology and finance hubs generally pay the most for Freight Brokers. See the city comparison table below for Freight Broker pay across major US and international metros.

How can a Freight Broker increase their salary?

Move toward the 75th percentile ($85K) through seniority, in-demand specialisations, and negotiating from real market data instead of hoping for a raise. The negotiation and pay-by-experience guides show exactly how.

โœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated August 2026Source: BLS OEWSConfidence: LowMethodology

Community-reported pay

Anonymous submissions from real freight brokers, cross-checked against government data.

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Career Opportunity Score

F
High Risk: High automation exposure and slow demand growth. Significant pivot risk by 2030.
+8%/yr
Demand growth
45%
Automation risk
$89K
In 5 yrs
$96K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation

Total comp range
$112Kโ€“$122K
per year, New York
Base salary$83K ยท 70%
Bonus$12K ยท 10%
Equity/yr$5K ยท 4%
Benefits$18K ยท 15%

Skills Market Premium

Real salary lift per skill ยท live market data

Load Boards+4% ยท +$3K
DAT+4% ยท +$3K
Carrier Relations+4% ยท +$3K
Negotiation+4% ยท +$3K
TMS+4% ยท +$3K
Max stack value+$17K/yr

Freight Broker Salary by Experience

How salary compounds over a career ยท category-specific milestone model

$56K
Entry
0 yrs
$69K
Junior
2 yrs
$78K
Mid-Level
4 yrs
$89K
Senior
6 yrs
$116K
Staff
10 yrs
$141K
Principal
14 yrs
$147K
Distinguished
18 yrs
Entry levelโ† experience progression โ†’Distinguished

Freight Broker Salary by City

Click any row for full breakdown ยท BLS metro premiums applied

CityMedianP75 Targetvs US avg
New York, NYCurrent$82,621$103,202++22%View โ†’
San Francisco, CA$96,108$120,048++41%View โ†’
Seattle, WA$95,821$119,690++41%View โ†’
Austin, TX$73,907$92,317++9%View โ†’
Boston, MA$86,476$108,017++27%View โ†’
Chicago, IL$71,109$88,822++5%View โ†’
Los Angeles, CA$75,124$93,837++10%View โ†’
Denver, CO$83,280$104,025++22%View โ†’
Washington DC, DC$97,486$121,769++43%View โ†’
Dallas, TX$67,828$84,724++0%View โ†’
London, UK$68,719$85,837++1%View โ†’
Toronto, Canada$66,994$83,682+-1%View โ†’

Source: BLS OEWS national median ร— metro-area wage premium. Updated daily.

Freight Broker Salary Range โ€” Full Percentile Breakdown

New York reference ยท BLS OEWS employer payroll data ยท 2026

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourlyDescription
P10 (Entry)$54K$5.0K$26/hrStarting salary โ€” 0โ€“2 yrs experience
P25$66K$6.0K$32/hrLower-mid range โ€” solid contributor
P50 (Median)$83K$7.0K$40/hrMarket midpoint โ€” 5+ yrs experience
P75 Target$103K$9.0K$50/hrTop earner threshold โ€” senior contributor
P90 (Senior)$126K$11.0K$61/hrElite tier โ€” staff / principal / director

Source: BLS OEWS โ€” 1.1M employer payrolls. Percentiles computed via log-normal distribution calibrated to Supply Chain category.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number on this page comes from a transparent, reproducible methodology โ€” no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey โ€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers. Employers report actual payroll data (not employee estimates). The BLS publishes national, state, and metro-area figures for every Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. Official Salary fetches this via the BLS public API and refreshes it every 24 hours. Data is never sourced from voluntary self-reports.

How are P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 calculated?

The BLS publishes exact hourly percentile wages for each occupation. Official Salary multiplies by 2,080 working hours/year (52 weeks ร— 40 hrs) to get annual figures. The percentiles reflect real payroll distributions across all surveyed employers: P75 means 75% of workers in that role earn less. Figures shown for New York use the BLS New York-Newark-Jersey City metro dataset โ€” the largest employment sample in the OEWS program.

How are other city salaries adjusted from New York?

For US cities: the BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ metropolitan areas. The metro premium ratio (metro median รท national median) is applied to scale salary. For example, San Francisco has a 1.68ร— premium for Software Engineers โ€” meaning SF pays ~68% above national median. For international cities: the model uses OECD Average Wages (38 countries, PPP-adjusted), ILO ILOSTAT (65+ countries), and a 5-factor formula: National Wage ร— Occupation Premium Ratio ร— Skill Elasticity ร— Income Tier Compression ร— City Metro Premium.

How is the experience curve calculated?

The experience curve uses a category-specific compound growth model calibrated to BLS level definitions (entry โ†’ mid โ†’ experienced โ†’ senior โ†’ distinguished). Each category has a different trajectory based on how much experience commands a premium in that field. For example, Finance careers front-load gains in years 2โ€“6 while Healthcare careers are more linear. The curve anchors to the BLS P50 at mid-career (~5 years experience).

How is total compensation (bonus + equity) estimated?

Total comp is a modelled estimate: industry-category bonus/equity ratios applied to the BLS base salary. Bonus percentages by category: Finance (15โ€“25%), Technology (10โ€“20%), Healthcare (5โ€“10%). Equity/RSUs are annualised over a standard 4-year vest. Benefits value ($15Kโ€“$25K) reflects typical employer-paid health insurance, retirement match, and PTO. Only the base salary is BLS-sourced โ€” bonus, equity, and benefits are estimates, and actual comp depends on your employer, level, and negotiation.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wage data refreshes monthly. ECB currency exchange rates (used for non-USD display) refresh every 4 hours. New job titles are added weekly via an automated expansion pipeline.

Full formulas and source citations are documented on the methodology page.

What Does a Freight Broker Earn in 2026?

A Freight Broker earns a median salary of $83K per year in 2026, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey โ€” the most comprehensive government payroll dataset available, covering 1.1 million employer records nationwide.

The salary range for a Freight Broker spans from $54K at the entry level (P10) to $126K+ for senior and principal-level professionals (P90). Reaching the P75 threshold โ€” the target for high-performers โ€” requires mastery of in-demand skills like Load Boards, DAT, Carrier Relations.

Salary varies significantly by city. Freight Brokers in San Francisco and Seattle command the highest premiums due to cost-of-living adjustments and concentration of high-growth employers. Remote work has compressed some of these differentials, but top-tier metropolitan areas still offer 30โ€“65% above national median for the same role.

Total compensation for a Freight Broker goes beyond base salary. When including performance bonuses, equity grants, and employer-provided benefits, total annual comp reaches $117K at the median ($112Kโ€“$122K range). Equity is particularly significant in technology and startup environments.

Quick Facts โ€” 2026

BLS SOC CategorySupply Chain
Demand Growth+8%/yr
Automation Risk45% (Medium)
Median (New York)$83K/yr
P75 Target$103K+/yr
Total Comp (median)$117K/yr
Top Paying SkillsLoad Boards, DAT
Data SourceBLS OEWS 2024

Freight Broker Salary โ€” Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Freight Broker salary in 2026?
The average Freight Broker salary in 2026 is $83K/year (median), based on BLS OEWS data from 1.1 million employer payrolls. The full range runs from $54K at entry level to $126K+ for senior positions. The top 25% of earners โ€” the P75 target โ€” reach $103K or more.
How do I reach the P75 salary as a Freight Broker?
The P75 threshold for Freight Brokers is $103K/year. Getting there typically requires 5โ€“8 years of experience, strong expertise in Load Boards and DAT, and strategic salary negotiation. Use BLS data as leverage: cite the $103K P75 benchmark and open at P75 ร— 1.10 (~$114K) to land in your target range.
Is Freight Broker a good career in 2026?
High Risk: High automation exposure and slow demand growth. Significant pivot risk by 2030. Demand growth is 8% annually. Total compensation including bonus and equity reaches $117K at the median.
What skills pay the most for Freight Brokers in 2026?
The highest-paying skills for Freight Brokers are Load Boards (+4%, +$3K/yr), DAT (+4%, +$3K/yr), Carrier Relations (+4%, +$3K/yr). Stacking all listed skills can add up to $17K/yr to your base. Skills with the highest premium should be prioritized first, and highlighted prominently on your resume and in salary negotiations.
What city pays Freight Brokers the most?
San Francisco consistently pays the highest Freight Broker salaries โ€” approximately 68% above national median due to the metro-area BLS premium and tech industry concentration. Seattle is second (+42%), followed by New York (+45%) and Boston (+40%). Remote-friendly companies have narrowed the gap, but high-COL cities still pay more in absolute terms.
How does Freight Broker salary change with experience?
A Freight Broker starting at entry level earns around $56K. By 4โ€“6 years (mid-level), salary reaches $78K. Senior and staff-level professionals (10+ yrs) earn $116K+. The steepest gains come in years 2โ€“6 โ€” this is when skill stacking and strategic job changes produce the largest jumps.
What is the total compensation for a Freight Broker?
Total compensation for a Freight Broker at the median is $117K/year, broken down as: base salary ($83K), performance bonus ($12K), equity/RSUs ($5K/yr), and employer benefits value ($18K). Top performers at P75+ can see total comp reach $122K.

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