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Average Freight Forwarder Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A freight forwarder in United Kingdom earns about 26,500 GBP a year. That's 62% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 13,600 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 37,900 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a freight forwarder make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
26,500 GBP
2,208 GBP per month
Lowest reported
13,600 GBP
1,133 GBP per month
Highest reported
37,900 GBP
3,158 GBP per month

A typical freight forwarder working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,208 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 13,600 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 37,900 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior freight forwarder working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the freight forwarder salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How freight forwarder pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all freight forwarders in United Kingdom earn less than 26,200 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 15,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 28,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of freight forwarders sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 13,600 GBP. The highest stretch to 37,900 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

13,600
Low
26,200
Median
37,900
High
15,300
25th
28,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Freight forwarder pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a freight forwarder in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical freight forwarder salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    13,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +40% from previous
    18,600 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +43% from previous
    26,600 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +15% from previous
    30,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +15% from previous
    35,100 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +4% from previous
    36,400 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 43%. That is the point at which a freight forwarder typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Freight forwarder pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving freight forwarder pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average freight forwarder salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    19,400 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +32% from previous
    25,700 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +35% from previous
    34,700 GBP

Freight forwarder gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male freight forwarders in United Kingdom earn an average of 27,400 GBP a year, while female freight forwarders earn around 26,400 GBP. That works out to a 4% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Freight Forwarder gender pay gap

4%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 27,400 GBP
Women 26,400 GBP

Pay raises for a freight forwarder in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 10% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Freight forwarder bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

29%

29% of freight forwarders in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a freight forwarder a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary. The remaining 71% of freight forwarders reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Freight forwarder: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Freight forwarder salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Freight forwarder pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Leeds
  • Bristol
  • Birmingham
  • Plymouth
  • Oxford
  • Nottingham
  • Dundee
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion47,600 GBP46,300 GBP25,400-73,200 GBP
ScotlandRegion35,300 GBP32,200 GBP17,100-52,000 GBP
LondonCity31,300 GBP31,400 GBP13,900-47,800 GBP
LeedsCity29,900 GBP30,800 GBP15,100-45,700 GBP
BristolCity29,900 GBP25,800 GBP13,300-45,200 GBP
BirminghamCity29,600 GBP29,100 GBP13,000-45,600 GBP
PlymouthCity27,800 GBP27,400 GBP13,500-41,700 GBP
OxfordCity27,800 GBP27,400 GBP12,600-42,600 GBP
NottinghamCity27,600 GBP22,000 GBP12,400-39,100 GBP
DundeeCity27,600 GBP22,800 GBP14,700-39,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity27,400 GBP27,300 GBP12,800-40,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity27,400 GBP26,300 GBP12,500-42,600 GBP
BradfordCity27,400 GBP26,500 GBP11,800-38,900 GBP
BelfastCity27,400 GBP24,800 GBP13,500-38,000 GBP
LiverpoolCity27,100 GBP23,700 GBP15,300-38,900 GBP
ManchesterCity26,900 GBP30,800 GBP13,900-45,600 GBP
CoventryCity26,900 GBP27,400 GBP14,200-44,900 GBP
LeicesterCity26,900 GBP26,100 GBP13,500-41,500 GBP
GlasgowCity26,900 GBP30,700 GBP13,500-45,600 GBP
DerbyCity26,500 GBP25,700 GBP15,200-39,800 GBP
HartlepoolCity26,400 GBP25,300 GBP11,400-36,200 GBP
SheffieldCity26,300 GBP27,300 GBP14,000-42,300 GBP
EdinburghCity26,300 GBP24,200 GBP14,500-41,500 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity26,100 GBP25,700 GBP13,300-42,500 GBP
SomersetCity25,800 GBP24,200 GBP14,000-42,500 GBP
CardiffCity25,800 GBP23,600 GBP14,500-39,000 GBP
NewcastleCity25,800 GBP25,800 GBP13,500-40,200 GBP
BrightonCity25,500 GBP25,500 GBP14,900-43,500 GBP
PooleCity25,300 GBP23,700 GBP13,000-37,100 GBP
NorwichCity25,300 GBP21,500 GBP13,400-34,800 GBP
SwanseaCity24,800 GBP24,800 GBP13,600-42,000 GBP
StirlingCity24,800 GBP22,800 GBP13,400-35,600 GBP
SouthamptonCity24,400 GBP23,400 GBP12,000-36,800 GBP
WellsCity24,400 GBP20,400 GBP12,200-33,000 GBP
ChesterCity24,400 GBP21,500 GBP10,800-34,700 GBP
AberdeenCity24,200 GBP24,200 GBP12,800-36,200 GBP
St DavidsCity23,800 GBP22,200 GBP9,900-34,400 GBP
AbingdonCity23,700 GBP23,400 GBP11,900-33,800 GBP
DerryCity23,600 GBP21,500 GBP15,100-39,500 GBP
SalisburyCity23,500 GBP23,500 GBP12,800-36,400 GBP
WakefieldCity23,400 GBP23,800 GBP10,300-33,600 GBP
CanterburyCity23,400 GBP23,400 GBP12,200-34,700 GBP
LincolnCity23,300 GBP23,500 GBP12,800-37,300 GBP
NewportCity23,100 GBP24,400 GBP10,300-36,400 GBP
WinchesterCity22,800 GBP22,300 GBP12,600-33,300 GBP
ArmaghCity22,800 GBP22,800 GBP12,600-39,100 GBP
YorkCity22,800 GBP27,600 GBP10,200-37,900 GBP
PortsmouthCity22,800 GBP27,300 GBP13,200-38,000 GBP
RiponCity22,800 GBP22,400 GBP13,000-36,400 GBP
ExeterCity22,400 GBP23,600 GBP12,200-39,500 GBP
WalesRegion22,400 GBP22,400 GBP12,200-36,700 GBP
CambridgeCity22,400 GBP23,400 GBP13,400-34,800 GBP
NewryCity22,400 GBP25,400 GBP10,200-38,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion22,300 GBP23,800 GBP11,300-34,000 GBP
TruroCity22,300 GBP23,800 GBP11,300-35,300 GBP
DurhamCity22,200 GBP23,600 GBP9,900-35,400 GBP
GloucesterCity22,200 GBP22,200 GBP12,800-35,600 GBP
LisburnCity22,000 GBP23,600 GBP12,100-38,100 GBP
KirkwallCity21,400 GBP19,300 GBP9,900-32,600 GBP
StrontianCity21,100 GBP23,800 GBP11,900-35,500 GBP
BangorCity20,700 GBP21,100 GBP12,100-33,500 GBP
InvernessCity20,400 GBP23,800 GBP12,300-35,100 GBP
StromnessCity20,400 GBP23,300 GBP11,300-34,700 GBP

Freight Forwarder in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a freight forwarder make per month in United Kingdom?

    A freight forwarder in United Kingdom earns about 2,208 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 26,500 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a freight forwarder in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level freight forwarders in United Kingdom start near 13,600 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 37,900 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 15,300 and 28,900 GBP.

  • Is the median freight forwarder salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 26,200 GBP, lower than the average of 26,500 GBP. Half of freight forwarders in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for freight forwarders in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a freight forwarder in United Kingdom earn around 4% more than women on average (27,400 vs 26,400 GBP a year).

  • Do freight forwarders in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 29% of freight forwarders in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 3% of base salary.

  • Do freight forwarders earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a freight forwarder about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do freight forwarders in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A freight forwarder in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 10% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.