Customs Brokers

Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Writing
Critical Thinking
Complex Problem Solving
Active Learning
Judgment and Decision Making

Key knowledge

Law and Government
Administrative
Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Transportation
Administration and Management
Computers and Electronics
Economics and Accounting

What the work involves

Sign documents on behalf of clients, using powers of attorney.
Provide advice on transportation options, types of carriers, or shipping routes.
Post bonds for the products being imported or assist clients in obtaining bonds.
Insure cargo against loss, damage, or pilferage.
Obtain line releases for frequent shippers of low-risk commodities, high-volume entries, or multiple-container loads.
Contract with freight forwarders for destination services.
Arrange for transportation, warehousing, or product distribution of imported or exported products.
Suggest best methods of packaging or labeling products.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Enterprising, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (35% of expert ratings)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (30%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (30%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Customs Brokers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 13-1041 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	High	Higher on contact with others than 69% of occupations compared	75% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Very high	Higher on dealing with the public than 89% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 66% of occupations compared	60% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 71% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Very high	Higher on time pressure than 98% of occupations compared	85% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Lower on conflict situations than 56% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	High	Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 71% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 60% of occupations compared	30% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very high
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions