Importer and Exporter
Importers and exporters buy goods from overseas suppliers or sell Australian products abroad, and carry the freight, customs paperwork and payment arrangements behind each shipment.
- Median salary*
- $90,000
4.4%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 3,200
3.2%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +16.4%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 44/wk
+4h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Importers and exporters buy goods from overseas suppliers or sell Australian products into overseas markets, and they carry the commercial risk of each shipment. The role sits above the paperwork: freight forwarders and customs brokers handle carriage and clearance, while the importer or exporter decides what to buy, at what price and on what terms. Many run their own small trading business, while others work in wholesale, retail or procurement for larger firms.
How much do importer and exporters earn?
The median full-time salary for an importer and exporter is $90,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,000 since 2018.
Pay depends heavily on whether you own the trading business or work for someone else, because owners take the margin on each shipment and that rises and falls with volumes and exchange rates. Salaried roles in wholesale, retail and freight are usually a base plus a bonus tied to sales or cost savings, and enterprise agreements set the floor in larger companies. Experience in a high-value category, such as machinery, food or medical goods, also affects what employers offer.
What does an importer and exporter 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.
- Negotiating supply, pricing and delivery terms with overseas suppliers and buyers
- Booking freight and following consignments through customs clearance with forwarders and brokers
- Preparing import and export documentation, including commercial invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin
- Working out landed costs, margins and stock levels so each shipment still makes money
- Tracking tariff changes, free trade agreements and currency movements that shift what a consignment costs
What skills do importer and exporters need?
Employers look for selling and negotiation, supply chain planning, regulatory compliance, backed by CargoWise fluency and strong stakeholder management.
Specialist skills
- Selling and negotiation
- Supply chain planning
- Regulatory compliance
- Inventory management
- Operations management
Software and tools
- CargoWise
- SAP Business One
- NetSuite
- Microsoft Excel
General skills
- Stakeholder management
- Client relationships and advisory
Is the job growing?
About 3,200 people work as importer and exporters in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 16.4% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an importer and exporter?
Here's the path most importer and exporters take, step by step.
- 1Start with year 12 and commerce subjects
There is no single required degree, and the workforce shows it: Bachelor degree is the most common qualification held, by 29% of people in the role. Accounting, economics and a second language help most with sourcing and negotiation.
- 2Get a first job in trade documentation
Import export clerk, shipping clerk and freight forwarding roles teach the paperwork, Incoterms, freight booking and clearance process, and most people learn the trade this way before running shipments of their own.
- 3Study international business or logistics
A diploma or bachelor degree in international business, supply chain or logistics is the usual qualification for larger employers, and TAFE and private colleges offer both.
- 4Add customs credentials for clearance work
Customs clearance is licensed work: you need the Diploma of Customs Broking (TLI50822) and to pass the Australian Border Force broker examination before you can act as a licensed customs broker.
- 5Build a supplier and buyer network
Relationships with factories, agents and buyers are what make an independent trading business work, and they usually take a few years of shipments to develop.
Ready to apply as an importer and exporter?
Whether you're working toward becoming an importer and exporter 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 an importer and exporter move to?
Moving into Logistics Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $57,400 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logistics Manager Freight, customs and supplier coordination carry into overseeing logistics operations, with further study in management required. | +$57,400 | 26% | reskill |
| Sales Manager Import and export trading experience and supplier networks carry into leading sales teams, though management training is needed.Known move | +$49,200 | 9% | reskill |
| Wholesaler Product sourcing and supplier relationships carry into wholesaling goods, with a short course covering wholesale operations and compliance. | −$4,200 | 52% | short course |
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 an importer and exporter?
The typical importer and exporter is 48 years old; 65% are men, 67% work full-time, and full-timers average 44 hours a week.
- 48
- Median age
- 35%
- Female share
- 67%
- Full-time
- +4h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an importer and exporter?
The work runs on shipment cycles: quotes and orders, a waiting stretch while goods clear, then delivery and payment. Time zones stretch the day, because suppliers in Asia, Europe or the United States are awake at different hours, and a customs hold or a currency swing can wipe out the margin on a container. It suits people who enjoy trading and negotiation and can stay level headed when a consignment is sitting on a wharf.
What people like
- You see a deal through end to end. You choose the supplier, agree the price, arrange the freight and sell the goods, so the whole chain from factory to customer is yours.
- The work is tangible. Success is a container that clears, a product that lands on a shelf and an invoice that gets paid, rather than a report nobody reads.
- Supplier relationships build into a network. Factories, agents and freight contacts stay with you across jobs and products, and that network is often what makes the next deal possible.
- Owning the business is a real option. Small trading companies are common in this field, and many people move from managing someone else's shipments to sourcing and selling on their own account.
What people find hard
- One mistake is expensive. A wrong tariff code, an undeclared biosecurity risk or a missed document can mean penalties, storage charges or a consignment held at the border.
- Delays you cannot control. Port congestion, blank sailings and customs inspections happen regardless of how well you planned, and your customer is still waiting.
- Margins move under you. Freight rates and exchange rates can change between quoting a price and shipping the goods, and a good deal can turn thin by the time it lands.
- Long days across time zones. Full-time importers and exporters average 44 hours a week, with early calls to Asia and late calls to Europe or the United States.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ importer and exporters?
Wholesale Trade employs the largest share of importer and exporters, followed by Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
Top employing industries
- 1Wholesale Trade
- 2Transport, Postal and Warehousing
- 3Retail Trade
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 29.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12 or below | 29% | |
| Postgraduate | 14.1% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 12.7% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 9.8% |
Will AI replace importer and exporters?
Import and export work sits in the middle: much of the documentation, tariff calculation and consignment tracking that fills the week is being automated by customs and trade platforms, while sourcing, negotiation and the commercial risk decisions stay with the person. The clerical side of the role is shrinking and the commercial side is not, so the value shifts towards judgement, relationships and knowing which shipments are worth taking on.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Documentation and customs paperworkCommercial invoices, packing lists and declarations increasingly come pre-filled from trade platforms such as CargoWise or SAP Business One, so the work becomes checking entries and fixing exceptions.30%high
- Tariff classification and duty calculationSoftware can suggest a tariff code and calculate the duty on it, though unusual or mixed goods still need a broker or a ruling from the Australian Border Force.25%high
- Supplier negotiation and sourcingChoosing a factory, agreeing a price and holding the relationship through a bad batch happens over calls, visits and samples, and that is what automation does not replace.25%low
- Freight booking, tracking and delivery coordinationCarrier portals and forwarder systems give live sailing and clearance status, so more of the week goes on rerouting around delays than on phoning agents for updates.20%moderate
Common questions about becoming an importer and exporter
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do importers and exporters earn?
Importers and exporters earn a median $90,000 per year before tax. What moves that figure most is whether you own the trading business or work for an employer, since owners take the margin on each shipment while salaried roles are usually a base plus a bonus.
How do you become an importer or exporter?
Most people start in a documentation or freight role, such as import export clerk, shipping clerk or freight forwarding, and learn customs paperwork, Incoterms and freight booking on the job. A diploma or degree in international business, logistics or supply chain helps with larger employers, and a supplier network built over a few years is what lets you trade independently.
Are importers and exporters in demand?
Importers and exporters are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 16.4% over the decade to 2035. The work tracks trade volumes closely, so a background in freight documentation, customs clearance or wholesale buying is the most direct way into a vacancy.
Will AI change how importers and exporters work?
Documentation, tariff classification and shipment tracking are already being automated by customs and trade platforms, so the clerical share of the week is shrinking. Sourcing, negotiation and the decisions about what to buy and on what terms stay with the person, because they depend on relationships and on judgements about risk.
What can importers and exporters move into?
Common moves are into sales management, which brings $49,200 more, and logistics management, at $57,400 more, because supplier and freight coordination carries across once you add management experience. Wholesaling is the closest sideways step ($4,200 less) and needs only a short course. Many end up running their own trading business, and that is often where earnings grow.
Do you need a degree to work as an importer or exporter?
No. Bachelor degree is the most common qualification held by people in the role, at 29% of the workforce, which describes what people already hold rather than what employers require. Practical knowledge of customs documentation, Incoterms and freight booking matters more, and a clerk or forwarding role is the usual place to pick it up.
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