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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $78,420 in the US and is projected to grow 3% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows high AI exposure (0.72 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Writing.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £33,000 a year for National government administrative occupations (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £29,021 to £41,617 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 4111). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Customs Brokers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Graduate degree plus a professional qualification (e.g. CA, CS, MBA, LLM or Diploma in Customs Clearance)[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam NACIN's online written Customs Brokers Examination[2]
- 3 · Registration Customs Broker licence under the Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018[2][1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- Customs Brokers Licensing Regulations, 2018 (NACIN copy) (read on 2026-09-27)
- NACIN — Customs Brokers Examination advertisement (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Transportation
- English Language
- Administrative
- Law and Government
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Geography
What you'd actually do
- Prepare and process import and export documentation according to customs regulations, laws, or procedures.
- Clear goods through customs and to their destinations for clients.
- Pay, or arrange for payment of, taxes and duties on shipments.
- Calculate duty and tariff payments owed on shipments.
- Request or compile necessary import documentation, such as customs invoices, certificates of origin, and cargo-control documents.
- Classify goods according to tariff coding system.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Customs Brokers do?
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.
How much does Customs Brokers earn?
The median annual salary for Customs Brokers in the US is $78,420.
What is the job outlook for Customs Brokers?
The role is projected to grow 3% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 418,000 workers.
How do I become customs brokers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Customs Brokers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Writing, Complex Problem Solving. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Customs Brokers?
Our AI-durability model gives Customs Brokers a score of 0.72 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Customs Brokers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.