Careers / Customs Brokers

Customs Brokers — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$80,730

United States, 2025

Employment

417,070

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

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.

O*NET code
13-1041.08
Job zone
3
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • Pay, or arrange for payment of, taxes and duties on shipments.
  • Classify goods according to tariff coding system.
  • Clear goods through customs and to their destinations for clients.
  • Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures.
  • Stay abreast of changes in import or export laws or regulations by reading current literature, attending meetings or conferences, or conferring with colleagues.
  • Calculate duty and tariff payments owed on shipments.
  • Confer with officials in various agencies to facilitate clearance of goods through customs and quarantine.
  • Obtain line releases for frequent shippers of low-risk commodities, high-volume entries, or multiple-container loads.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$48,220
10th
$61,280
25th
$80,730
Median
$109,010
75th
$133,720
90th

10th percentile

$48,220

25th percentile

$61,280

75th percentile

$109,010

90th percentile

$133,720

Most important skills

  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Speaking3.9
  • Writing3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.6
  • Active Learning3.3
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Time Management3.1
  • Learning Strategies3.0
  • Systems Analysis3.0

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 17 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

17

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Reading Comprehension4.04.0Not selected4.0
Active Listening4.04.0Not selected4.0
Speaking3.94.0Not selected4.0
Writing3.84.0Not selected4.0
Critical Thinking3.83.9Not selected3.9
Active Learning3.33.5Not selected3.5
Complex Problem Solving3.63.1Not selected3.1
Monitoring3.13.5Not selected3.5
Judgment and Decision Making3.33.1Not selected3.1
Time Management3.13.0Not selected3.0
Persuasion3.03.1Not selected3.1
Service Orientation3.03.1Not selected3.1
Learning Strategies3.03.0Not selected3.0
Systems Analysis3.03.0Not selected3.0
Systems Evaluation3.03.0Not selected3.0
Coordination3.03.0Not selected3.0
Negotiation3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
San Jose, CA$123,7302,6902025
San Francisco, CA$118,8907,5002025
DC$111,0304,3802025
Bellingham, WA$109,5506402025
El Centro, CA$106,7508402025
Brunswick, GA$106,3306702025
Boston, MA$103,94010,9202025
MA$102,06013,1902025
San Diego, CA$101,2306,1202025
New York, NY$101,05023,3802025
Kennewick, WA$100,4404002025
Washington, DC$100,20013,8202025
NJ$100,00013,3102025
Idaho Falls, ID$99,0402302025
Boulder, CO$98,3504802025
Laredo, TX$98,1801,4402025
Bridgeport, CT$97,9207902025
Brownsville, TX$97,4709102025
CA$96,98049,8802025
New Haven, CT$96,2205002025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Customs Brokers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.