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Freight Forwarder salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a freight forwarder is $64,500 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- 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.
The median salary rose by $13,700 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than freight forwarder
The largest typical pay rise is $82,900 a year, moving into Logistics Manager.
- Logistics Manager+$82,900/yr
- Customs Officer+$32,300/yr
- Supply Chain Analyst+$22,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher freight forwarder salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time freight forwarder salary is $64,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Supply chain planning and Regulatory compliance tend to command a premium over general freight forwarder experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Logistics Manager pays a typical $82,900 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Freight Forwarder salary questions
How much do freight forwarders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a freight forwarder is $64,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is freight forwarder pay rising or falling?
The median freight forwarder salary is up $13,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than freight forwarder?
Logistics Manager pays a typical $82,900 a year more and draws on similar skills to freight forwarder.
Related salaries
- Customs Broker salary
- Import Export Clerk salary
- Logistics Manager salary
- Customs Officer salary
- Supply Chain Analyst salary
- Logistics Coordinator salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.