The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies import-export agents under the category "business operations specialists" with respect to wage information. Import-export agents, also known as customs brokers, prepare necessary documents and process duty and tax payments for clients with respect to imported and exported items. They also arrange for storage for imported goods.
Features
The mean annual wage for business operations specialists was $67,710 as of 2010, according to the BLS. The bottom 10 percent earned $33,820 and the top 10 percent made $107,490 per year. The median annual wage was $62,450. The bureau calculates mean annual wages by multiplying the mean hourly wage of $32.55 by 2,080, the average number of hours worked by a full-time employee.
Industries
The federal executive branch is the largest employer of business operations specialists, with over 176,000 employees, who made a mean annual wage of $77,200 as of 2010, according to the BLS. Petroleum manufacturing was the industry that paid the highest mean annual wage to business operations specialists --- $103,760, followed by computer manufacturing at $100,870 and motor vehicle manufacturing at $90,970.
Locations
California is the state with the highest employment level for business operations specialists with 143,000 workers. Mean annual wages in the state were $71,290 as of May 2010, according to the BLS. The state that paid the highest mean annual wage to business operations specialists was the District of Columbia, at $90,080 per year. Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, and Alabama rounded out the top five. The top two metropolitan areas for business operations specialists were Kokomo, Indiana, at $94,510 per year and Bridgeport, Connecticut, at $91,340.
Considerations
The BLS predicts an average job growth for customs brokers, 7 to 13 percent, through the year 2018. O-Net Online notes that customs broker careers are ideal for individuals who are "enterprising' and "conventional". They must make many decisions, but at the same time must adhere to set routines. About one-quarter of customs brokers find employment in government agencies.
