Customs Brokers: Career Overview
Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.
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The Daily Work of Customs Brokers Do?
The core tasks performed by customs brokers cover:
- Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures.
- Clear goods through customs and to their destinations for clients.
- Pay, or arrange for payment of, taxes and duties on shipments.
- Calculate duty and tariff payments owed on shipments.
- Request or compile necessary import documentation, such as customs invoices, certificates of origin, and cargo-control documents.
- Classify goods according to tariff coding system.
- Stay abreast of changes in import or export laws or regulations by reading current literature, attending meetings or conferences, or conferring with colleagues.
- Sign documents on behalf of clients, using powers of attorney.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top customs brokers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Customs Brokers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Air Export Agent
- Air Export Operations Agent
- Air Import Agent
- Boarding Agent
- Cargo Agent
- Cargo Broker
- Cargo Office Agent
- Corporate Licensed Broker
How Many Customs Brokers Are There?
There are roughly 237,330 customs brokers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.2% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Customs Brokers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $67,529 |
| Hourly median | $32.47 |
| 10th percentile | $38,692 |
| 25th percentile | $53,110 |
| 75th percentile | $81,948 |
| 90th percentile | $96,367 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Customs Brokers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $103,010 |
| New Jersey | $93,520 |
| Massachusetts | $92,890 |
| California | $92,350 |
| Alaska | $88,730 |
| Vermont | $88,550 |
| Delaware | $88,450 |
| Maryland | $87,580 |
| Connecticut | $87,210 |
| Maine | $86,940 |
| New York | $86,880 |
| Washington | $86,200 |
| Minnesota | $85,220 |
| Oregon | $84,210 |
| Rhode Island | $83,200 |
| New Hampshire | $82,530 |
| Virginia | $80,990 |
| Hawaii | $80,930 |
| Colorado | $80,590 |
| Wyoming | $80,150 |
| Illinois | $79,350 |
| Nevada | $78,940 |
| North Dakota | $78,450 |
| South Carolina | $76,200 |
| Wisconsin | $75,780 |
| Michigan | $75,300 |
| Ohio | $75,030 |
| North Carolina | $74,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,840 |
| Iowa | $73,530 |
| Arizona | $73,070 |
| Texas | $72,050 |
| Indiana | $71,980 |
| South Dakota | $71,700 |
| Florida | $70,460 |
| Alabama | $70,190 |
| New Mexico | $67,640 |
| Kentucky | $67,490 |
| Kansas | $66,980 |
| Nebraska | $65,960 |
| Idaho | $65,350 |
| Virgin Islands | $65,210 |
| Mississippi | $65,150 |
| Missouri | $64,960 |
| Utah | $64,730 |
| West Virginia | $64,040 |
| Georgia | $63,990 |
| Tennessee | $63,760 |
| Louisiana | $63,730 |
| Arkansas | $63,560 |
| Montana | $63,330 |
| Oklahoma | $61,730 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,570 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for customs brokers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $89,808 | 17.1% | 1.04 |
| New England | $89,791 | 5.3% | 1.22 |
| Middle Atlantic | $86,241 | 16.5% | 1.15 |
| Great Lakes | $75,873 | 10.3% | 0.74 |
| Rocky Mountains | $73,182 | 3.7% | 0.94 |
| Plains States | $72,241 | 6.5% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $71,347 | 14.4% | 1.17 |
| Southeast | $70,480 | 24.9% | 1.08 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $118,490 | 2,690 |
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $105,610 | 150 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | GA | $104,330 | 640 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $104,000 | 7,350 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $102,500 | 14,110 |
| Bellingham, WA | WA | $101,870 | 650 |
| El Centro, CA | CA | $101,110 | 850 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $98,190 | 6,000 |
Top Industries Employing Customs Brokers
The largest employers of customs brokers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Insurance | 46,410 | $79,920 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 38,020 | $90,990 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 32,070 | $68,590 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 22,870 | $89,740 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 18,660 | $60,800 |
| Manufacturing | 18,630 | $85,040 |
| Educational Services | 15,080 | $74,650 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 14,480 | $63,430 |
Customs Brokers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of customs brokers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Spend Time Sitting
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Time Pressure
Getting Started in This Career
Typical customs brokers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Purchasing Managers (Supplemental)
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Primary-Short)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Compliance Officers (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors (Primary-Long)
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future customs brokers commonly pursue programs in:
Natural Resources and Conservation
4 programs across 2 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
2 programs across 1 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1041.08 (Compliance Officers).
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