Couriers and Messengers
Couriers and Messengers (SOC 43-5021) earn a median $39,200 a year ($18.85 an hour) in the United States, with 68,640 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Nevada.
What couriers and messengers do
Couriers and messengers collect and deliver messages, documents, packages, and similar items, moving them between the offices or departments of one establishment or straight to other businesses. They reach their destinations on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle, or automobile, or on public transportation. Some deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications for hospitals and other medical facilities, and others deliver newspapers or items to private homes. Requests for pickups, with recipient names, addresses, telephone numbers, and delivery instructions, may arrive by telephone, two-way radio, or in person. The courier sorts items by delivery route, loads the vehicle correctly with the listed goods and takes precautions with hazardous goods, obtains signatures and payments or arranges for the recipient to pay, and records what was received and delivered and how recipients responded. The occupation excludes light truck drivers, who are classified separately. Bank courier, bicycle messenger, and bank runner are among the alternate titles.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Bank Courier, Bank Messenger, Bank Runner, Bicycle Messenger, Bill Distributor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.17 | $17.34 | $18.85 | $21.77 | $24.20 | $19.70 | 68,640 |
| Annual | $31,550 | $36,070 | $39,200 | $45,280 | $50,330 | $40,970 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where couriers and messengers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $15.24 | $18.04 | $22.36 | $23.20 | $24.03 | $20.79 | 530 | 0.34 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $31,700 | $37,510 | $46,520 | $48,250 | $49,980 | $43,230 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.45 | $19.93 | $22.36 | $24.75 | $26.62 | $22.61 | 1,190 | 0.33 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $38,380 | $41,460 | $46,500 | $51,480 | $55,370 | $47,020 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $17.40 | $19.19 | $21.92 | $22.19 | $22.19 | $20.95 | 50 | 0.15 | 0.34 |
| Annual | $36,190 | $39,900 | $45,600 | $46,140 | $46,140 | $43,570 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.24 | $19.80 | $21.74 | $23.57 | $26.70 | $22.43 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.38 |
| Annual | $37,930 | $41,190 | $45,210 | $49,030 | $55,540 | $46,650 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $16.88 | $18.33 | $21.71 | $23.80 | $28.34 | $21.85 | 850 | 0.43 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $35,110 | $38,130 | $45,170 | $49,500 | $58,960 | $45,440 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.92 | $17.66 | $18.63 | $22.57 | $27.33 | $21.03 | 7,320 | 0.76 | 1.71 |
| Annual | $35,190 | $36,740 | $38,740 | $46,950 | $56,840 | $43,750 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.41 | $18.95 | $21.62 | $23.31 | $27.58 | $22.05 | 7,240 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $36,200 | $39,420 | $44,970 | $48,480 | $57,360 | $45,870 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.95 | $16.53 | $18.14 | $20.29 | $22.24 | $18.52 | 4,910 | 0.49 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $31,100 | $34,380 | $37,740 | $42,190 | $46,270 | $38,510 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.85 | $17.57 | $18.87 | $21.78 | $23.80 | $19.47 | 4,710 | 0.34 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $30,900 | $36,540 | $39,260 | $45,310 | $49,490 | $40,490 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $13.52 | $17.11 | $18.80 | $20.07 | $22.73 | $18.67 | 3,350 | 0.68 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $28,120 | $35,600 | $39,100 | $41,740 | $47,280 | $38,830 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $20.20 | $22.61 | $26.77 | $30.11 | $33.22 | $26.61 | 390 | 0.34 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $42,020 | $47,030 | $55,680 | $62,640 | $69,100 | $55,350 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.53 | $21.51 | $23.32 | $25.56 | $28.81 | $23.75 | 660 | 0.32 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $40,630 | $44,740 | $48,510 | $53,160 | $59,930 | $49,400 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $19.72 | $21.48 | $23.00 | $24.31 | $27.66 | $23.54 | 940 | 0.39 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $41,020 | $44,680 | $47,840 | $50,560 | $57,520 | $48,970 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $18.55 | $20.35 | $22.67 | $24.54 | $29.30 | $23.13 | 240 | 0.12 | 0.28 |
| Annual | $38,590 | $42,340 | $47,160 | $51,050 | $60,940 | $48,110 | ||||
| Modesto, CA | Hourly | $17.14 | $20.54 | $22.61 | $30.09 | $34.84 | $24.90 | 110 | 0.57 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $35,660 | $42,720 | $47,020 | $62,580 | $72,470 | $51,800 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.21 | $18.19 | $19.78 | $23.28 | $28.25 | $21.69 | 6,690 | 0.71 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $35,800 | $37,820 | $41,140 | $48,420 | $58,760 | $45,120 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.89 | $19.00 | $21.04 | $23.05 | $26.40 | $21.62 | 3,030 | 0.48 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $37,210 | $39,530 | $43,760 | $47,940 | $54,910 | $44,970 | ||||
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | Hourly | $10.50 | $10.76 | $11.42 | $14.00 | $15.27 | $12.50 | 2,290 | 3.32 | 7.52 |
| Annual | $21,840 | $22,390 | $23,760 | $29,120 | $31,750 | $25,990 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $15.45 | $16.24 | $18.10 | $20.52 | $22.52 | $18.56 | 1,770 | 0.63 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $32,130 | $33,770 | $37,650 | $42,670 | $46,830 | $38,600 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $15.77 | $18.54 | $19.40 | $22.67 | $25.66 | $20.43 | 1,530 | 0.53 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $32,800 | $38,570 | $40,340 | $47,150 | $53,370 | $42,490 | ||||
Top industries employing couriers and messengers
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories employ 23.5% of couriers and messengers nationally (16,140 jobs) at a median $40,160 a year ($19.31 an hour), followed by Couriers and Express Delivery Services (14.2%) and Local Messengers and Local Delivery (13.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories NAICS 621500 | 16,140 | 23.5% | $40,160 | $19.31 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services NAICS 492100 | 9,770 | 14.2% | $39,980 | $19.22 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery NAICS 492200 | 9,320 | 13.6% | $40,280 | $19.37 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 4,550 | 6.6% | $39,020 | $18.76 |
| Legal Services NAICS 541100 | 3,390 | 4.9% | $34,400 | $16.54 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (68,640). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $33,050 for couriers and messengers in May 2021 and $39,200 in May 2025, with employment of 68,310 and 68,640.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $33,050 | $15.89 | 68,310 |
| May 2022 | $35,280 | $16.96 | 75,800 |
| May 2023 | $36,710 | $17.65 | 72,010 |
| May 2024 | $38,340 | $18.43 | 71,920 |
| May 2025 | $39,200 | $18.85 | 68,640 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada profile | $22.36 | $46,520 | $31,700 | $49,980 | 530 | 0.34 | 0.77 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $22.36 | $46,500 | $38,380 | $55,370 | 1,190 | 0.33 | 0.76 |
| 3 | Vermont profile | $21.92 | $45,600 | $36,190 | $46,140 | 50 | 0.15 | 0.34 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $21.74 | $45,210 | $37,930 | $55,540 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.38 |
| 5 | Oregon profile | $21.71 | $45,170 | $35,110 | $58,960 | 850 | 0.43 | 0.98 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | $21.70 | $45,140 | $30,890 | $60,330 | 640 | 0.22 | 0.51 |
| 7 | California profile | $21.62 | $44,970 | $36,200 | $57,360 | 7,240 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| 8 | Minnesota profile | $21.57 | $44,860 | $36,640 | $58,480 | 440 | 0.15 | 0.34 |
| 9 | Utah profile | $20.60 | $42,840 | $36,730 | $47,560 | 850 | 0.49 | 1.11 |
| 10 | Massachusetts profile | $20.37 | $42,380 | $35,560 | $56,510 | 1,560 | 0.43 | 0.97 |
| 11 | Alaska profile | $20.06 | $41,720 | $37,100 | $48,180 | 160 | 0.49 | 1.10 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $20.06 | $41,710 | $38,020 | $48,770 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $19.91 | $41,410 | $33,560 | $47,950 | 1,060 | 0.36 | 0.82 |
| 14 | New Jersey profile | $19.65 | $40,870 | $34,150 | $51,590 | 2,100 | 0.49 | 1.11 |
| 15 | New Hampshire profile | $19.53 | $40,630 | $26,350 | $53,980 | 190 | 0.28 | 0.63 |
| 16 | Tennessee profile | $19.36 | $40,270 | $33,360 | $46,940 | ** | ** | ** |
| 17 | Montana profile | $19.27 | $40,080 | $27,040 | $50,500 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.28 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $19.09 | $39,700 | $30,520 | $48,950 | 3,330 | 0.55 | 1.25 |
| 19 | Connecticut profile | $18.98 | $39,480 | $35,300 | $54,980 | 650 | 0.39 | 0.87 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $18.94 | $39,400 | $29,340 | $47,900 | 2,100 | 0.43 | 0.97 |
| 21 | Texas profile | $18.87 | $39,260 | $30,900 | $49,490 | 4,710 | 0.34 | 0.76 |
| 22 | Maryland profile | $18.82 | $39,140 | $33,850 | $49,850 | 770 | 0.28 | 0.63 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $32,520 | $47,550 | 1,340 | 0.22 | 0.50 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $28,120 | $47,280 | 3,350 | 0.68 | 1.53 |
| 25 | Arizona profile | $18.74 | $38,980 | $31,200 | $46,330 | 820 | 0.25 | 0.58 |
| 26 | Oklahoma profile | $18.71 | $38,910 | $29,470 | $44,170 | 1,220 | 0.71 | 1.61 |
| 27 | Delaware profile | $18.63 | $38,760 | $33,960 | $46,810 | 170 | 0.35 | 0.79 |
| 28 | New York profile | $18.63 | $38,740 | $35,190 | $56,840 | 7,320 | 0.76 | 1.71 |
| 29 | Hawaii profile | $18.55 | $38,580 | $36,410 | $45,250 | 270 | 0.43 | 0.98 |
| 30 | New Mexico profile | $18.54 | $38,570 | $28,310 | $43,240 | 400 | 0.46 | 1.04 |
| 31 | Iowa profile | $18.49 | $38,460 | $32,180 | $42,840 | 580 | 0.38 | 0.85 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $18.45 | $38,370 | $28,210 | $48,000 | 580 | 0.40 | 0.92 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $18.42 | $38,320 | $31,200 | $44,860 | 1,710 | 0.31 | 0.70 |
| 34 | North Dakota profile | $18.31 | $38,090 | $31,740 | $48,150 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.19 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $18.24 | $37,940 | $30,830 | $45,420 | 1,500 | 0.34 | 0.77 |
| 36 | Virginia profile | $18.18 | $37,820 | $31,180 | $54,910 | 2,010 | 0.49 | 1.11 |
| 37 | Florida profile | $18.14 | $37,740 | $31,100 | $46,270 | 4,910 | 0.49 | 1.12 |
| 38 | Indiana profile | $17.92 | $37,270 | $31,640 | $50,910 | 990 | 0.31 | 0.70 |
| 39 | Arkansas profile | $17.82 | $37,070 | $27,600 | $43,690 | 300 | 0.23 | 0.52 |
| 40 | Wisconsin profile | $17.75 | $36,910 | $29,770 | $45,960 | 2,560 | 0.87 | 1.97 |
| 41 | Rhode Island profile | $17.70 | $36,810 | $31,200 | $47,290 | 160 | 0.32 | 0.73 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $17.65 | $36,710 | $25,000 | $46,040 | 1,380 | 0.60 | 1.36 |
| 43 | Idaho profile | $17.36 | $36,110 | $26,150 | $45,660 | 410 | 0.47 | 1.07 |
| 44 | Kentucky profile | $17.25 | $35,880 | $25,580 | $42,390 | 750 | 0.37 | 0.85 |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | $17.20 | $35,780 | $25,700 | $42,550 | 590 | 0.51 | 1.15 |
| 46 | West Virginia profile | $16.77 | $34,890 | $29,640 | $39,440 | 240 | 0.34 | 0.78 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $16.74 | $34,820 | $27,020 | $45,230 | 720 | 0.34 | 0.77 |
| 48 | Nebraska profile | $16.64 | $34,600 | $28,790 | $46,420 | 470 | 0.46 | 1.04 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $16.10 | $33,490 | $22,980 | $44,630 | 1,030 | 0.53 | 1.21 |
| 50 | Wyoming profile | $15.23 | $31,680 | $23,000 | $57,510 | 70 | 0.25 | 0.56 |
| 51 | South Dakota profile | $15.22 | $31,650 | $30,260 | $40,910 | 80 | 0.17 | 0.39 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-5021 Couriers and Messengers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-5021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-5021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.