Average Cargo and Freight Agent Salary in Colombo, Sri Lanka for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Cargo and Freight Agent salary for 2026 in Colombo and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Sri Lankan rupee. To keep things simple, we are using the LKR currency code instead of the currency symbol Rs රු.

How Much Does a Cargo and Freight Agent Make in Colombo?

A Cargo and Freight Agent working in Colombo will typically earn around 571,300 LKR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 263,100 LKR to the highest average salary of 908,200 LKR.

These are average salaries for a Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Cargo and Freight Agent to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Cargo and Freight Agent salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Cargo and Freight Agent Salaries in Colombo

So we've looked at the average salaries a Cargo and Freight Agent will earn in Colombo. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Cargo and Freight Agent can earn between 263,100 LKR and 908,200 LKR on average in Colombo. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo is 618,800 LKR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 618,800 LKR, and 50% of the population earn more than 618,800 LKR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Cargo and Freight Agent salary in Colombo, 25% of the population are earning less than 394,500 LKR while 75% of the population earn more than 394,500 LKR.

75% of the population earn less than 823,400 LKR, and 25% of the population earn more than 823,400 LKR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

Cargo and Freight Agent Salary by Experience Level in Colombo

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Cargo and Freight Agent salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

• 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 297,000 LKR.
• 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Cargo and Freight Agent salary would increase to 398,300 LKR.
• 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Cargo and Freight Agent, the average salary would be 589,400 LKR.
• 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 719,100 LKR.
• 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Cargo and Freight Agent with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 782,500 LKR.
• 20+ Years Experience. For a Cargo and Freight Agent with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 847,000 LKR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

Cargo and Freight Agent Salary by Education Level in Colombo

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

• High School. A Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo with a high school education can earn an average salary of 340,400 LKR.
• Certificate or Diploma. A Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 535,800 LKR.
• Bachelor's Degree. A Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 896,700 LKR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Cargo and Freight Agent Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Colombo, a male cargo and freight agent will earn an average of 533,100 LKR, while a female cargo and freight agent will earn around 480,300 LKR.

This means that a male cargo and freight agent earns approximately 11% more than a female cargo and freight agent for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Colombo

Cargo and Freight Agent Average Pay Raise in Colombo

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo is around 11% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Sri Lanka is around 9% every 17 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Colombo for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Sri Lanka.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Cargo and Freight Agent Bonus and Incentive Rates in Colombo

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Cargo and Freight Agent is a low bonus based job, with 28% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

72% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Sri Lanka earn approximately 8% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Cargo and Freight Agent

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Cargo and Freight Agent in Colombo.