Average Freight Forwarder Salary in China for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Freight Forwarder salary for 2024 in China 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 Chinese yuan. To keep things simple, we are using the CNY currency code instead of the currency symbol ¥.

How Much Does a Freight Forwarder Make in China?

A Freight Forwarder working in China will typically earn around 123,400 CNY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 65,940 CNY to the highest average salary of 187,500 CNY.

Average Annual Salary
123,400 CNY
Average Monthly Salary
10,283 CNY

Lowest Annual Salary
65,940 CNY
Lowest Monthly Salary
5,495 CNY

Highest Annual Salary
187,500 CNY
Highest Monthly Salary
15,625 CNY

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

Freight Forwarder 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 Freight Forwarder Salaries in China

So we've looked at the average salaries a Freight Forwarder will earn in China. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Freight Forwarder can earn between 65,940 CNY and 187,500 CNY on average in China. 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 Freight Forwarder in China is 116,420 CNY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 116,420 CNY, and 50% of the population earn more than 116,420 CNY.

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 Freight Forwarder salary in China, 25% of the population are earning less than 80,840 CNY while 75% of the population earn more than 80,840 CNY.

75% of the population earn less than 142,300 CNY, and 25% of the population earn more than 142,300 CNY.

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.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Freight Forwarder Salary by Experience Level in China

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 freight forwarder 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 Freight Forwarder in China that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 75,260 CNY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Freight Forwarder salary would increase to 92,900 CNY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Freight Forwarder, the average salary would be 128,500 CNY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 152,000 CNY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Freight Forwarder with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 168,100 CNY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Freight Forwarder with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 176,800 CNY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
75,260 CNY
2-5 Years +23%
92,900 CNY
5-10 Years +42%
128,500 CNY
10-15 Years +17%
152,000 CNY
15-20 Years +10%
168,100 CNY
20+ Years +6%
176,800 CNY

Freight Forwarder Salary by Education Level in China

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 Freight Forwarder in China 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 Freight Forwarder in China with a high school education can earn an average salary of 92,900 CNY.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Freight Forwarder in China with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 129,000 CNY.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Freight Forwarder in China with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 181,600 CNY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
92,900 CNY
Certificate or Diploma +40%
129,000 CNY
Bachelor's Degree +42%
181,600 CNY

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in China is around 146,000 to 439,000 CNY and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Freight Forwarder 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 China, a male freight forwarder will earn an average of 125,700 CNY, while a female freight forwarder will earn around 114,000 CNY.

This means that a male freight forwarder earns approximately 10% more than a female freight forwarder for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in China

Male
125,700 CNY
Female -10%
114,000 CNY

Freight Forwarder Average Pay Raise in China

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 Freight Forwarder in China is around 10% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in China is around 9% every 15 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 = ( 10 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

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

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in China for 2024

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

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

Banking
8%
Energy
7%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
5%
Travel
4%
Construction
3%
Education
2%

Freight Forwarder Bonus and Incentive Rates in China

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 Freight Forwarder is a low bonus based job, with 27% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

73% 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 1% to 3%.

Received Bonus
27%
No Bonus
73%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

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 China earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
362,200 CNY
Private Sector -6%
341,400 CNY

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Freight Forwarder

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Freight Forwarder in China.

Job Title Category Salary
Customs Controller Import and Export 218,900 CNY
Expeditor Import and Export 207,800 CNY
Export Administrator Import and Export 309,800 CNY
Export Controller Import and Export 228,500 CNY
Export Executive Import and Export 307,400 CNY
Export Logistics Manager Import and Export 491,000 CNY
Export Logistics Specialist Import and Export 311,700 CNY
Export Services Manager Import and Export 480,300 CNY
Export Specialist Import and Export 273,000 CNY
Export Supervisor Import and Export 311,700 CNY
Exports Sales Manager Import and Export 559,000 CNY
Global Forwarding Agent Import and Export 263,100 CNY
Immigration and Customs Inspector Import and Export 189,300 CNY
Import and Export Clerk Import and Export 115,380 CNY
Import and Export Consultant Import and Export 424,900 CNY
Import and Export Manager Import and Export 565,100 CNY
Import and Procurement Manager Import and Export 559,000 CNY
Import Coordinator Import and Export 176,800 CNY
Import Customs Specialist Import and Export 233,900 CNY
Import Logistics Specialist Import and Export 257,700 CNY
Importation Supervisor Import and Export 369,900 CNY
Inspector Import and Export 195,200 CNY
Logistic Executive Import and Export 253,400 CNY
Logistician Import and Export 127,700 CNY
Logistics Administrator Import and Export 279,400 CNY
Logistics Analyst Import and Export 281,500 CNY
Logistics Specialist Import and Export 265,000 CNY
Marine Cargo Inspector Import and Export 168,100 CNY
Shipping Officer Import and Export 123,400 CNY

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in China, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Beijing 134,600 CNY
Changchun 117,440 CNY
Changsha 108,300 CNY
Chengdu 129,000 CNY
Chongqing 142,300 CNY
Dalian 115,560 CNY
Dongguan 115,380 CNY
Foshan 112,420 CNY
Fuzhou 111,240 CNY
Guangzhou 136,200 CNY
Hangzhou 137,400 CNY
Harbin 124,400 CNY
Jinan 129,000 CNY
Kunming 108,120 CNY
Nanjing 128,900 CNY
Qingdao 125,100 CNY
Quanzhou 106,980 CNY
Shanghai 139,100 CNY
Shantou 115,380 CNY
Shenyang 125,700 CNY
Shenzhen 125,100 CNY
Suzhou 119,900 CNY
Tianjin 127,700 CNY
Wenzhou 115,400 CNY
Wuhan 125,700 CNY
Wuxi 103,820 CNY
Xi an 128,500 CNY
Xiamen 103,600 CNY
Zhengzhou 102,960 CNY

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in China.

City Average Salary
Anhui 136,100 CNY
Beijing 107,860 CNY
Chongqing 113,420 CNY
Fujian 117,440 CNY
Gansu 107,320 CNY
Guangdong 142,300 CNY
Guangxi 128,500 CNY
Guizhou 117,520 CNY
Hainan 101,980 CNY
Hebei 129,000 CNY
Heilongjiang 125,100 CNY
Henan 138,200 CNY
Hubei 128,500 CNY
Hunan 128,500 CNY
Jiangsu 128,500 CNY
Jiangxi 128,900 CNY
Jilin 116,380 CNY
Liaoning 124,400 CNY
Nei Monggol 109,460 CNY
Ningxia 99,220 CNY
Qinghai 98,000 CNY
Shaanxi 125,100 CNY
Shandong 138,200 CNY
Shanghai 111,240 CNY
Shanxi 115,080 CNY
Sichuan 128,500 CNY
Tianjin 111,900 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur 110,380 CNY
Xizang [Tibet] 102,020 CNY
Yunnan 125,100 CNY
Zhejiang 125,100 CNY

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average Freight Forwarder Salary in China for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on April 19, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-freight-forwarder-salary-in-china/.

  • "Average Freight Forwarder Salary in China for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-freight-forwarder-salary-in-china/. Accessed 19 April, 2024

  • Average Freight Forwarder Salary in China for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-freight-forwarder-salary-in-china/.