A truck broker, also called a freight broker, acts as the intermediary between shipping companies and authorized transportation companies. Truck brokers handle all transportation logistic issues, spearhead planning initiatives and process payments from the shipper to the cargo company. Brokers earn commission for ensuring that carriers are able to fill their trucks and that shippers can utilize reliable, effective carriers. For salary data, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies truck brokers under the category of "Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers."

Average Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly wage for transportation managers is $41.65, or $86,632 per year, as of May 2011. However, the median hourly wage for the profession is $38.56, or $80,210 annually, suggesting that the highest-paid transportation managers are compensated at significantly higher levels than their peers, thus boosting the mean salary data.

Salary Ranges

Transportation managers in the 10th percentile earn a median hourly wage of $22.45, or $46,700 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the other end of the spectrum, the 90th percentile of transportation managers earns $64.18 per hour, or a median annual salary of $133,490.

Salary by Industry

The oil and gas extraction industry is the highest-paying sector for transportation managers, according to the BLS. Truck brokers working for these companies earn a mean hourly wage of $64.69, or $134,555 per year. Automobile dealers are a close second, paying transportation managers more than $128,000 annually. Other lucrative industries for transportation managers include pipeline transportation of natural gas, computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing and household appliance manufacturing, all of which pay an average annual salary of more than $117,000, the BLS notes.

Salary by State

The highest-paying state for transportation managers is Delaware, where workers earn an average of $57.53 per hour, or $119,660 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts also offer generous compensation; transportation managers in these states earn approximately $50.00 per hour, on average. However, the District of Columbia offers higher salaries for truck brokers than any state; transportation managers in the nation's capital earn a mean hourly wage of $58.12, or almost $121,000 per year.

Salary by Locale

The Wilmington metropolitan area in Delaware is the highest-paying area for transportation managers, according to the BLS. Truck brokers there earn $56.81 per hour, or $118,164 per year, on average. Other lucrative regions for the profession include the Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford area in New England, where transportation managers earn an average of $116,896 per year and the Edison-New Brunswick area in New Jersey, where the average annual salary is $110,697, according to the BLS.