Export-Import Specialists
Overview
Introduction
Export-import specialists plan and coordinate business transactions involving importing from or exporting goods to foreign countries. They may work for the government, an international company, or as a representative of an individual client. Export-import specialists are involved in various aspects of foreign trade, from negotiating trade agreements to planning and supervising the actual delivery of goods.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Earnings vary widely depending on specific job responsibilities and the size of the export-import firm. Export-import managers earned median annual salaries of $104,180 in November 2019, according to Salary.com. Salaries ranged from less than $96,813 to $112,752 or more.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), median annual earnings of sales representatives, wholesale and manuf...
Work Environment
Export-import specialists usually work in comfortable offices or customs buildings. They generally work a 40-hour week, although long hours may be required to negotiate a trade agreement or to plan and coordinate delivery of goods. Evening and weekend work may be necessary at times.
There may be a lot of travel, especially for wholesalers and those based overseas. These employees must ad...
Outlook
Opportunities in the export-import field should grow at an average rate during the next decade. Employment stability in this field is largely dependent on general economic conditions, and job prospects will vary from industry to industry and firm to firm. For example, it may be harder to find work as a textile wholesaler representing a U.S. firm than as a heavy machinery wholesaler. Manufacture...