How To Become A Customs Broker
Clears imports through U.S. customs for clients: classifies goods, calculates and pays duties, and files the entry documents.
Customs Broker Salary Data
Customs Broker Salary: What The BLS Figures Show
Compliance officers working in freight transportation arrangement, the industry customs brokerages belong to, earn a median of $62,880 a year across 4,520 jobs. BLS counts customs brokers inside compliance officers, whose national median across every industry is $80,730 (May 2025).
By the Supply Chain Degree Programs editorial team Updated
The Pay Figures At A Glance
- The median is $80,730. That is for compliance officers; the average is $88,400.
- The 10th to 90th percentiles run $48,220 to $133,720. Hourly, the median works out to $38.81.
- District of Columbia pays the highest state median, $111,030. Oklahoma pays the lowest, $63,000.
- The best-paying industry has a median of $124,400. The best-paying metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, at $123,730.
- Projected change through 2035: 3.8%. Annual openings: about 32,700.
How Much Does A Customs Broker Make?
Half of all compliance officers earn more than $80,730 a year and half earn less. The average, $88,400, sits above the median, and the full range runs from $48,220 at the 10th percentile to $133,720 at the 90th. On an hourly basis the median works out to $38.81.
The middle half of the occupation earns between $61,280 and $109,010, a gap of $47,730. The sections below show how far location, industry and employer type each move the number.
| Percentile | Annual Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,220 |
| 25th | $61,280 |
| Median | $80,730 |
| 75th | $109,010 |
| 90th | $133,720 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, compliance officers, national. BLS publishes no separate wage for customs brokers. They are counted inside compliance officers, an occupation that spans government, finance and healthcare, so figures for the whole occupation describe far more than customs work. Read 2026-09-23.
Why Customs Broker Pay Comes From The Compliance Officers Figure
O*NET lists customs brokers as their own detailed occupation, 13-1041.08, with titles such as licensed customs broker and corporate licensed broker. The wage survey stops a level above that, at compliance officers, and that occupation is mostly other work: government, finance and healthcare employ far more compliance officers than trade does.
So the most relevant figure is the industry one in the lede, the pay of compliance officers working where customs brokerage is done. The national tables below describe compliance officers in every industry, and they are included as context, not as a customs broker salary.
Customs Broker Salary By State
18 of the 51 states in the table pay a median above the national $80,730. District of Columbia has the highest median, $111,030, on 4,380 jobs. Among states with at least 5,000 jobs in the occupation, Massachusetts leads at $102,060. The lowest state median is $63,000, in Oklahoma, so the top and bottom states sit $48,030 apart.
The biggest markets are California, with 49,880 jobs and a median of $96,980, and Texas, with 42,900 jobs at $75,370.
| State | Median | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,030 | $69,140 | $156,750 | 4,380 |
| Massachusetts | $102,060 | $63,340 | $161,920 | 13,190 |
| New Jersey | $100,000 | $58,860 | $158,540 | 13,310 |
| California | $96,980 | $57,530 | $158,280 | 49,880 |
| Connecticut | $91,810 | $60,050 | $137,690 | 3,610 |
| Delaware | $91,050 | $51,930 | $137,540 | 2,150 |
| Vermont | $90,420 | $53,570 | $118,270 | 1,960 |
| New York | $90,080 | $53,330 | $142,370 | 23,500 |
| Washington | $88,790 | $60,650 | $142,350 | 11,130 |
| Rhode Island | $87,620 | $60,000 | $135,260 | 970 |
| Minnesota | $85,920 | $55,830 | $134,040 | 6,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $85,580 | $49,910 | $130,990 | 19,810 |
| Maryland | $84,720 | $56,310 | $132,620 | 10,100 |
| Maine | $83,740 | $50,480 | $118,060 | 1,790 |
| Oregon | $82,990 | $55,200 | $120,950 | 5,360 |
| New Hampshire | $82,800 | $54,980 | $123,020 | 1,730 |
| Hawaii | $82,590 | $53,270 | $117,350 | 1,270 |
| Colorado | $82,450 | $57,990 | $133,520 | 7,740 |
| Illinois | $80,550 | $50,040 | $132,290 | 10,650 |
| Virginia | $80,380 | $48,640 | $133,620 | 15,190 |
| Wyoming | $79,890 | $51,110 | $132,360 | 580 |
| North Dakota | $79,440 | $56,260 | $116,370 | 990 |
| Wisconsin | $78,800 | $56,010 | $125,160 | 5,710 |
| Indiana | $78,770 | $47,650 | $134,820 | 5,120 |
| North Carolina | $78,500 | $45,690 | $131,180 | 11,320 |
| Nevada | $78,290 | $43,120 | $124,280 | 4,400 |
| Michigan | $77,390 | $46,290 | $120,560 | 9,720 |
| Alaska | $76,430 | $47,290 | $126,920 | 920 |
| Iowa | $75,620 | $49,940 | $114,460 | 3,660 |
| South Carolina | $75,460 | $44,990 | $133,820 | 4,760 |
| Idaho | $75,450 | $42,080 | $128,750 | 1,660 |
| Texas | $75,370 | $45,170 | $126,920 | 42,900 |
| Ohio | $75,030 | $47,230 | $124,230 | 11,240 |
| Arizona | $74,920 | $47,630 | $132,620 | 12,430 |
| Florida | $74,920 | $44,130 | $127,420 | 29,680 |
| Nebraska | $73,920 | $48,060 | $115,920 | 3,470 |
| Alabama | $72,990 | $41,620 | $126,870 | 3,770 |
| South Dakota | $72,630 | $57,140 | $115,920 | 1,130 |
| Louisiana | $70,290 | $39,850 | $119,990 | 3,970 |
| Georgia | $70,200 | $42,500 | $131,210 | 14,390 |
| Kansas | $69,740 | $42,620 | $121,370 | 3,560 |
| Kentucky | $69,240 | $43,120 | $109,300 | 4,360 |
| New Mexico | $67,990 | $44,550 | $120,760 | 2,400 |
| Mississippi | $67,450 | $37,040 | $109,300 | 1,720 |
| Utah | $67,370 | $41,230 | $120,520 | 3,760 |
| Missouri | $67,270 | $44,060 | $118,850 | 7,000 |
| Montana | $66,660 | $50,350 | $109,300 | 1,480 |
| Arkansas | $64,680 | $43,160 | $132,760 | 3,120 |
| West Virginia | $64,270 | $44,420 | $115,210 | 1,720 |
| Tennessee | $63,960 | $41,460 | $117,250 | 7,990 |
| Oklahoma | $63,000 | $42,340 | $105,360 | 4,230 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, by state, sorted by median. Read 2026-09-23.
Customs Broker Salary By Metro Area
BLS publishes a median for compliance officers in 391 metropolitan areas, and 115 of them have at least 500 jobs in the occupation, enough for the median to describe a real local market. Among those, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the most, at $123,730, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $118,890.
| Metro Area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $123,730 | 2,690 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $118,890 | 7,500 |
| Bellingham, WA | $109,550 | 640 |
| El Centro, CA | $106,750 | 840 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $106,330 | 670 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $103,940 | 10,920 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $101,230 | 6,120 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $101,050 | 23,380 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $100,200 | 13,820 |
| Laredo, TX | $98,180 | 1,440 |
The largest markets are a different list. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has the most jobs, 23,380, at a median of $101,050, and the five biggest metros together hold 78,350 jobs, 19% of the occupation. The metros where the occupation is most concentrated relative to the local workforce are Brunswick-St. Simons, GA (location quotient 5.36), Laredo, TX (location quotient 4.90) and El Centro, CA (location quotient 4.81).
Treat the metro figures as nominal pay. OEWS wages are not adjusted for local living costs, so a high median in an expensive metro and a lower one in a cheaper metro can leave a worker with similar purchasing power. Housing and other costs vary enough between metros that the ranking above is a ranking of paychecks, not of standards of living.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan area estimates. Ranked only among metros with at least 500 jobs in the occupation. A location quotient compares the occupation's share of local jobs with its share of jobs nationally. Read 2026-09-24.
Top-Paying Industries For Customs Brokers
BLS publishes the occupation's pay in 194 industries. Among those employing at least 1,000 compliance officers, the highest median is in natural gas distribution, at $124,400, which is $43,670 above the national figure.
| Industry | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas Distribution | $124,400 | 1,490 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $111,710 | 2,870 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $107,410 | 11,470 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $105,890 | 1,520 |
| Federal Executive Branch | $105,660 | 66,840 |
| Postal Service (Federal Government) | $105,020 | 1,420 |
Where The Jobs Are, And Where The Pay Is
The industries that pay the most are mostly not the ones that hire the most. The six top-paying industries above employ 85,610 compliance officers between them, 21% of the occupation. The five largest employers hold 181,580, or 44%. One industry is on both lists: federal executive branch.
| Largest Employers | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch | 66,840 | $105,660 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals | 44,300 | $67,390 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals | 31,750 | $68,650 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 23,550 | $88,660 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities | 15,140 | $84,590 |
The single largest employer, federal executive branch, pays a median of $105,660. It is also one of the top-paying industries, $18,740 below the highest, so for this occupation the biggest employer and good pay coincide.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific estimates, by industry. Each figure is the median for compliance officers working in that industry. Top-paying industries are ranked only among those with at least 1,000 jobs in the occupation. Read 2026-09-23.
What Moves Customs Broker Pay
Compliance officers work in government, finance, healthcare and nearly every regulated industry, and customs brokerage is a small part of the occupation. That is why the customs broker pages lead with the freight transportation arrangement figure and treat the national one as context.
Employer Type
Compliance officers at private employers earn a median of $80,700, and private employers hold 62% of the occupation's jobs. Among government employers, the federal government pays the highest median, $105,500, which is $24,800 above private pay.
| Employer | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | $80,700 | 259,640 |
| Federal government | $105,500 | 68,250 |
| State government | $68,300 | 51,140 |
| Local government | $69,520 | 38,040 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, national ownership estimates. State and local government include their schools and hospitals, and the federal row includes the Postal Service, as BLS defines them.
Location
The top and bottom states sit $48,030 apart at the median. Among metros with at least 500 jobs, the gap between the highest and lowest median is $77,690, wider than the state gap. Neither figure is adjusted for living costs.
Degree Level
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education for compliance officers. That is an entry requirement, not a pay effect: the wage survey measures occupations, not degrees. For what a degree costs, see the rankings of bachelor’s in supply chain management and online supply chain management degrees.
How Customs Broker Pay Compares With Other Supply Chain Jobs
A supply chain degree leads to more than one occupation, and they don't pay the same. Of the 9 BLS occupations below, compliance officers have the number 6 median. The highest is purchasing managers, at $148,080.
| Occupation | Median | 10th To 90th | Typical Entry | Growth 2025-35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasing Managers | $148,080 | $92,490 to $223,280 | Bachelor's degreeplus 5 years or more experience | 4% |
| Industrial Production Managers | $126,060 | $78,000 to $205,520 | Bachelor's degreeplus 5 years or more experience | 2.6% |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | $65,120 to $194,900 | High school diploma or equivalentplus 5 years or more experience | 6.1% |
| Operations Research Analysts | $88,940 | $57,060 to $159,910 | Bachelor's degree | 11.9% |
| Logisticians | $82,320 | $50,890 to $133,160 | Bachelor's degree | 17.6% |
| Compliance Officers | $80,730 | $48,220 to $133,720 | Bachelor's degree | 3.8% |
| Buyers and Purchasing Agents | $77,710 | $48,380 to $128,870 | Bachelor's degree | 6% |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $59,650 | $40,080 to $86,000 | High school diploma or equivalent | -1.3% |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | $52,260 | $38,340 to $79,810 | High school diploma or equivalent | 6.2% |
The spread follows seniority more than subject. The 3 highest medians belong to the 3 management occupations, and BLS says each of them typically needs 5 years or more of related work experience to enter. The other 6 are specialist occupations that BLS lists with no experience requirement at entry. The management jobs are also the ones the specialists move into: buyers become purchasing managers, and logisticians become supply chain managers, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Sources: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (pay); BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 (growth); EP Table 1.2 (typical entry education and experience).
Job Outlook For Customs Brokers
BLS projects employment of compliance officers to grow from 436,400 to 453,100 over 2025 to 2035, a change of 3.8%. That's about the same as the 3.5% projected for all occupations.
Growth is the smaller part of the hiring. BLS expects about 32,700 openings a year, and it splits them three ways: people leaving the labor force, mostly to retire; people moving into a different occupation; and new jobs from growth.
| Source Of Openings, Per Year | Openings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Workers leaving the labor force | 13,200 | 40% |
| Workers moving to other occupations | 17,900 | 55% |
| New jobs from growth | 1,600 | 5% |
| Total openings | 32,700 | 100% |
Replacement demand dominates: 95% of openings come from people leaving the occupation, not from new positions. Transfers outnumber retirements, so more of the openings come from compliance officers moving on to other jobs than from people leaving work. Each year BLS expects 7% of the occupation to leave it, against 9.7% across all occupations. About 0.7% of workers in the occupation are self-employed, which is why EP's employment count runs higher than OEWS's.
What Drives Demand
BLS projects compliance officers as a whole to grow at about the pace of all occupations; the projection covers the whole occupation, customs brokers included.
Sources: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35; EP tables 1.10 (separations and openings) and 1.12 (factors affecting occupational utilization). The growth row is total openings minus separations. Read 2026-09-23.
Does A Supply Chain Degree Raise Your Salary?
BLS reports what an occupation pays, not what a degree pays, so there's no federal figure for "customs broker salary with a master's." Use the numbers above as the pay for the job you're aiming at. A degree matters to the extent that it gets you hired into the occupation, or promoted within it.
Cost is the part of a degree you can pin down. These rankings list tuition read from each school’s own page, so you can set a real price against the salary range here: bachelor’s in supply chain management and online supply chain management degrees.
FAQ
How Much Does A Customs Broker Make?
The median is $80,730 a year for compliance officers, the BLS occupation behind this page (May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $61,280 and $109,010.
What Is The Hourly Pay For Customs Brokers?
The median hourly wage for compliance officers is $38.81 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How Much Do The Top-Paid Customs Brokers Make?
The 90th percentile for compliance officers is $133,720 a year, so one in ten earns more than that. The 75th percentile is $109,010.
Which State Pays Customs Brokers The Most?
District of Columbia has the highest state median, $111,030, on 4,380 jobs. Among states with at least 5,000 jobs in the occupation, Massachusetts is highest at $102,060.
Which City Pays Customs Brokers The Most?
Among metro areas with at least 500 jobs in the occupation, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest median, $123,730. The figure is not adjusted for living costs.
Which Industry Pays Customs Brokers The Most?
Among industries employing at least 1,000 compliance officers, natural gas distribution pays the highest median, $124,400.
Do Government Customs Brokers Earn More Than Private-Sector Ones?
Compliance officers in the federal government earn a median of $105,500, against $80,700 at private employers (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Federal pay is higher at the median, but 62% of the occupation works for private employers.
Is The Customs Broker Job Market Growing?
BLS projects employment of compliance officers to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 32,700 openings a year.
Keep Reading
Bachelor’s In Supply Chain Management, Ranked
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
Online Supply Chain Management Degrees, Ranked
Programs read from each school’s own page, with tuition where the school states it.
All Supply Chain Salaries
The 9 BLS occupations behind supply chain work, side by side.
Sources
- 1 BLS OEWS, May 2025: Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041), national and state profile Read .
- 2 BLS OEWS, May 2025: metropolitan area estimates Read .
- 3 BLS OEWS, May 2025: national industry-specific and ownership estimates Read .
- 4 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics home
- 5 BLS Employment Projections, National Employment Matrix, 2025-35 Read .
- 6 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35 Read .
- 7 O*NET OnLine, 13-1041.08 Customs Brokers Read .