Cargo and Freight Agents pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,030 a year or less, while the top 10% make $80,580 or more. The middle half of cargo and freight agents in Chicago earn between $48,880 and $62,480.
- $40K10th
- $49K25th
- $60KMedian
- $62K75th
- $81K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $58,140 | $4,845 | $27.95 |
| Median | $59,850 | $4,988 | $28.77 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $48,880 | $4,073 | $23.50 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $62,480 | $5,207 | $30.04 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cargo and Freight Agents salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $58,140, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $46,159 a year, or $3,847 a month and $1,775 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $47,181 | $3,932 |
| Working in IL | $46,159 | $3,847 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for cargo and freight agents? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $58,140 buys what about $56,122 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Cargo and Freight Agents salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 2 Illinois metro areas for this job; Peoria pays the most ($61,880).
- Peoria$61,880
- Chicago$58,140
Highest-paying cities for cargo and freight agents
Hartford, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($71,770).
- Hartford, CT$71,770
- New Haven, CT$71,180
- San Francisco, CA$70,340
- Trenton, NJ$68,490
- Vallejo, CA$68,470
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Cargo and Freight Agents salary in Chicago: questions
How much do cargo and freight agents make an hour in Chicago?
$27.95 an hour on average, and $28.77 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cargo and freight agents salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,030 a year and the 25th percentile is $48,880, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cargo and freight agents take-home pay in Chicago?
About $46,159 a year ($3,847 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $58,140.
Do cargo and freight agents earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($57,351).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-5011; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.99, this job is 2.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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