Freight Forwarder
Freight forwarders organise the movement of goods across borders, booking carriers and handling the documents that get cargo from a supplier to a buyer.
- Median salary*
- $64,500
4.4%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 3,000
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +3.2%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 40/wk
matches all-jobs average
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
They work for forwarding and logistics companies, arranging sea, air and road freight for importers and exporters in industries such as wholesale trade, manufacturing and agriculture. A typical day moves between shipping lines, customs authorities and the client whose goods are on the water, which makes the job as much about communication as transport. The role is often confused with a customs broker's: a customs broker is licensed to clear goods through customs, while a freight forwarder manages the whole journey from booking space to final delivery.
How much do freight forwarders earn?
The median full-time salary for a freight forwarder is $64,500 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
Pay follows the accounts you're trusted to run: quoting, winning clients and managing a book of business pay better than back-office documentation. Larger forwarders often set rates through enterprise agreements, while smaller firms negotiate individually, and a customs broker licence or a niche such as project cargo or perishables adds a premium. After-hours work around port delays and peak season lifts earnings in operations roles.
What does a freight forwarder do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Booking space with shipping lines and airlines and locking in schedules before cut-off
- Preparing and checking import and export documentation so cargo isn't held at the port
- Tracking containers across carriers and answering client questions about where a shipment actually is
- Rebooking cargo and briefing clients when a vessel is delayed or a slot falls through
- Quoting freight rates and comparing routes to keep a client's landed cost workable
What skills do freight forwarders need?
Employers look for supply chain planning, regulatory compliance, account and relationship management, backed by TradeGate fluency and strong attention to detail.
Specialist skills
- Supply chain planning
- Regulatory compliance
- Account and relationship management
- Data analysis
Software and tools
- TradeGate
- CargoWise One
- Fourkites
- SAP
- Microsoft Excel
General skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Customer service
- Written communication
Is the job growing?
About 3,000 people work as freight forwarders in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 3.2% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a freight forwarder?
Here's the path most freight forwarders take, step by step.
- 1Get a qualification in freight forwarding or logistics
A Certificate IV in International Freight Forwarding or a Diploma of Logistics at TAFE covers customs documentation, incoterms and cargo handling, and it's the quickest way to be considered for an entry role. Among people already working in the role, the most common qualification is Bachelor degree, held by 38%.
- 2Learn the platforms employers use
Most forwarders work in CargoWise One, with TradeGate and carrier portals alongside it, and job ads usually expect you to know at least one of them. Short courses and on-the-job training both work, but the sooner you can quote and track a shipment without help, the sooner you move off basic duties.
- 3Start in operations or customer service
Entry roles go by names like freight forwarding operator, import/export clerk and customer service officer, and they're paid positions inside a forwarding company. This is where you learn the customs quirks, the carrier contacts and which clients need chasing.
- 4Add a customs brokerage qualification if you want to clear cargo
The Diploma of Customs Broking (TLI50822) and a licence from the Australian Border Force let you lodge customs entries yourself, which makes you more useful to an employer and opens a higher-paid path. It takes further study and the licensing requirements set by the Border Force, and experienced forwarders often do it part time while working.
- 5Specialise in a cargo type or move into account management
Project cargo, perishables, dangerous goods and automotive freight all have their own rules, and specialists are harder to replace. Account managers take responsibility for the client relationship rather than the paperwork, and that's where much of the pay progression sits.
Ready to apply as a freight forwarder?
Whether you're working toward becoming a freight forwarder or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a freight forwarder move to?
Moving into Logistics Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $82,900 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logistics Manager Freight forwarders can step up to logistics manager, using their carrier booking and cargo movement experience with further management study. | +$82,900 | 27% | reskill |
| Customs Officer Freight forwarders' border documentation and clearance knowledge suits customs officer roles, though government training and security clearance are required. | +$32,300 | 45% | reskill |
| Supply Chain Analyst Freight forwarders bring international freight and supply chain coordination to analyst work, requalifying with a degree in supply chain analytics. | +$22,900 | 31% | requalify |
| Customs Broker Freight forwarders bring customs paperwork and cargo clearance experience to the customs broker role, needing a diploma and licensing. | +$14,500 | 45% | reskill |
| Import Export Clerk Freight forwarders move into the import and export clerk role with their trade documentation and shipment coordination skills, plus further study. | +$10,900 | 45% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a freight forwarder?
The typical freight forwarder is 40 years old; 56% are women, 86% work full-time, and full-timers average 40 hours a week.
- 40
- Median age
- 56%
- Female share
- 86%
- Full-time
- +0h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a freight forwarder?
The work runs on other people's schedules: vessels sail when they sail, ports close, and a shipment that was fine this morning can be a problem by lunchtime. Forwarders spend much of the day on email and the phone, moving between carriers, customs and clients, which suits people who like sorting out a mess under time pressure. The pace is steady most weeks, with sharp peaks when a service is disrupted or peak season lands.
What people like
- Every week brings a different problem. A rolled vessel, a customs query or a client who needs cargo earlier than planned; the work rarely repeats exactly.
- Trade knowledge builds quickly. Within a year or two you know your way around incoterms, tariff codes and the shipping routes serving your clients, and that knowledge travels across the industry.
- A network of carriers and clients. Regular contacts at shipping lines, airlines and customs agents mean you build relationships you can call on when something goes wrong.
- Cargo arriving on schedule. There's a clear result when a container clears and lands on time, and clients notice who made that happen.
What people find hard
- Delays that aren't yours to fix. Port congestion, blank sailings and weather sit outside your control, but you're the one fielding the calls when a client's stock doesn't arrive.
- Documentation leaves no room for error. A wrong tariff code or a missing certificate can hold cargo at the border and run up storage charges, so the checking is painstaking.
- Peak season stacks up. The run into Christmas and Chinese New Year fills the books, and disruptions tend to arrive in batches rather than one at a time.
- Progress depends on trust. Building a client base and moving into account management takes a few years of proving you can hold things together under pressure.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ freight forwarders?
Transport, Postal and Warehousing employs the largest share of freight forwarders, followed by Wholesale Trade.
Top employing industries
- 1Transport, Postal and Warehousing
- 2Wholesale Trade
- 3Manufacturing
- 4Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- 5Retail Trade
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 38% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 24% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 20% | |
| Postgraduate | 10% | |
| Other | 8% |
Will AI replace freight forwarders?
Freight forwarding sits in the middle: quoting engines, automated documentation and carrier tracking portals have taken over much of the routine checking and chasing, and most forwarders work in CargoWise One or a similar platform all day. What holds the rating at moderate is the exception handling, where a rolled vessel, a customs hold or a changed delivery date has to be worked through with real money and deadlines attached. The technology narrows the clerical load rather than the job itself.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Sorting out delays, holds and disputesWhen a vessel is rolled or customs holds a container, someone has to weigh waiting against re-routing and negotiate with the carrier on cost and priority.30%low
- Preparing and checking trade documentationSoftware flags missing fields and validates tariff codes, which cuts the checking time, but a wrong description or incoterm still holds the cargo.25%high
- Tracking shipments and updating clientsContainer tracking feeds and portal updates mean less time ringing shipping lines, though clients still want a person to explain what a delay means for their delivery.25%moderate
- Quoting rates and comparing routesRate platforms and carrier data pull live pricing quickly, but a quote still depends on choosing a sensible routing and building in space and schedule risk.20%moderate
Common questions about becoming a freight forwarder
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a freight forwarder earn?
$64,500 per year before tax for full-time work. That figure is a median, so what you're offered varies with your experience, the accounts you handle and whether you hold a customs broker licence. Some employers add bonuses tied to the accounts you run.
How do you become a freight forwarder?
Most people start in an operations or customer service role at a forwarding company and learn the documentation and booking systems on the job. A Certificate IV in International Freight Forwarding or a Diploma of Logistics (TLI50224) gives you the terminology and customs basics that make you employable, and employers generally want familiarity with CargoWise One or a similar platform.
Are freight forwarders in demand?
Freight forwarders are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 3.2% over the decade to 2035. The occupation is small, with about 3,000 people working in it, so openings come as much from turnover as from new positions. The work concentrates in forwarding companies and logistics firms near the main ports and airports.
Will AI replace freight forwarders?
AI and automation already handle parts of the job: quoting platforms pull live freight rates, documentation tools flag missing data, and carrier portals track containers without anyone ringing the shipping line. The exposure stays moderate because freight moves on exceptions, and someone still has to work out what to do when a vessel is rolled, a client changes a delivery address or a customs hold lands on a Friday. Judgement on cost, liability and the client relationship stays with the forwarder.
What can a freight forwarder move into?
Customs broker uses the same documentation and clearance work, with a diploma and a licence behind it, and pays $14,500 more. Logistics manager takes on team and account leadership and pays $82,900 more, drawing on the carrier booking and cargo movement experience you already have. Supply chain analyst suits forwarders who would rather work with freight data than move cargo, and pays $22,900 more.
Do freight forwarders need a licence?
There's no licence required to work as a freight forwarder, but clearing goods through customs is licensed work. Some forwarders hold the Diploma of Customs Broking (TLI50822) and an Australian Border Force licence so they can lodge entries in-house, while others brief a licensed customs broker on each shipment.
Related roles
- Customs Broker
- Import Export Clerk
- Logistics Manager
- Customs Officer
- Supply Chain Analyst
- Logistics Coordinator
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