SOC 43-5011 · Lake Charles, LA metro

Cargo and Freight Agents Salary in Lake Charles, LA

The average salary for cargo and freight agents in Lake Charles, Louisiana is $57,090 a year ($27.45 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $68,080: half of the 30 people in this job in the Lake Charles, LA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($57,230).

$57,090average per year

$27.45 / hourMedian $68,080Take-home ≈ $46,725

  • $26K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $68K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
-0%vs U.S. average
#1 of 5Louisiana metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cargo and Freight Agents pay range in Lake Charles

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,880 or more. The middle half of cargo and freight agents in Lake Charles earn between $47,210 and $68,080.

  • $26K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $68K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,090$4,758$27.45
Median$68,080$5,673$32.73
Entry level (25th percentile)$47,210$3,934$22.70
Experienced (75th percentile)$68,080$5,673$32.73

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cargo and Freight Agents pay in Lake Charles vs. Louisiana and the U.S.

Cargo and freight agents in Lake Charles earn 10% more than the Louisiana average ($52,090) and about the same as the U.S. average ($57,230). At the median the gap is +30% against the U.S. median of $52,260.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Lake Charles$57,090$68,080$25,640$74,88030
Louisiana$52,090$48,940$27,230$73,360840
United States$57,230$52,260$38,340$79,81097,670

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cargo and Freight Agents salary after taxes in Lake Charles

On the average salary of $57,090, a single filer in Lake Charles takes home about $46,725 a year, or $3,894 a month and $1,797 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Louisiana paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Lake Charles a good place for cargo and freight agents? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Lake Charles area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $57,090 buys what about $66,498 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Lake Charles ($45,700). A typical home costs $202,237, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $57,090 is worth in another city

Cargo and Freight Agents salary in other Louisiana cities

Lake Charles ranks 1st of 5 Louisiana metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Cargo and Freight Agents salaries in Louisiana

Highest-paying cities for cargo and freight agents

Hartford, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($71,770).

Cargo and Freight Agents salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Cargo and Freight Agents in Lake Charles, LA.

Cargo and Freight Agents salary in Lake Charles: questions

How much do cargo and freight agents make an hour in Lake Charles?

$27.45 an hour on average, and $32.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cargo and freight agents salary in Lake Charles?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,210, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cargo and freight agents take-home pay in Lake Charles?

About $46,725 a year ($3,894 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,090.

Do cargo and freight agents earn more in Lake Charles than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($57,230).

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 Lake Charles, LA (29340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.49, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.49).

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