Pick up and deliver messages, documents, packages, and other items between offices or departments within an establishment or directly to other business concerns, traveling by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, automobile, or public conveyance. Excludes “Light Truck Drivers” (53-3033).
National median · BLS
$39,200
▲ +2.24%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$40,970
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
68,640
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Couriers and Messengers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$31,550
25th
$36,070
Median (50th)
$39,200
75th
$45,280
90th — top pay
$50,330
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Couriers and Messengers
BLS projects employment of couriers and messengers to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 23,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
228,900 → 247,100
+18,200 jobs
Projected change
+8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
23,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
69.9% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035
Couriers and Messengers salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Couriers and Messengers salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Couriers and Messengers
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening3.3
Speaking3.3
Time Management3.3
Critical Thinking3.0
Reading Comprehension3.0
Service Orientation3.0
Writing3.0
Judgment and Decision Making2.9
Coordination2.8
Monitoring2.8
Top knowledge areas
Transportation3.4
Customer and Personal Service3.4
English Language3.0
Public Safety and Security2.7
Law and Government2.5
Production and Processing2.3
Administrative2.2
Telecommunications2.1
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordRoute mapping software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What couriers and messengers do
Deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications to and from hospitals and other medical facilities.
Walk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials.
Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.
Receive messages or materials to be delivered, and information on recipients, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, and delivery instructions, communicated via telephone, two-way radio, or in person.
Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments and to other establishments and private homes.
Record information, such as items received and delivered and recipients' responses to messages.
Unload and sort items collected along delivery routes.
Sort items to be delivered according to the delivery route.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Couriers and Messengers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $39,200.
