SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-5021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $31,550 | $2,629 | $607 | $15.17 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,070 | $3,006 | $694 | $17.34 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $39,200 | $3,267 | $754 | $18.85 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $45,280 | $3,773 | $871 | $21.77 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $50,330 | $4,194 | $968 | $24.20 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Couriers and Messengers is $39,200, which is 23% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 49 by median pay. With 68,640 jobs, it makes up about 4.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Couriers and Messengers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Nevada ($46,520), Washington ($46,500) and Vermont ($45,600). The lowest was in Virgin Islands ($21,840), Puerto Rico ($23,160) and Guam ($26,400). The most jobs were in New York (7,320), California (7,240) and Florida (4,910). The occupation is most concentrated in Puerto Rico, where its share of all jobs is 7.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 530 | $46,520 | $43,230 | $22.36 |
| Washington | 1,190 | $46,500 | $47,020 | $22.36 |
| Vermont | 50 | $45,600 | $43,570 | $21.92 |
| District of Columbia | 120 | $45,210 | $46,650 | $21.74 |
| Oregon | 850 | $45,170 | $45,440 | $21.71 |
| Colorado | 640 | $45,140 | $45,700 | $21.70 |
| California | 7,240 | $44,970 | $45,870 | $21.62 |
| Minnesota | 440 | $44,860 | $45,710 | $21.57 |
| Utah | 850 | $42,840 | $42,570 | $20.60 |
| Massachusetts | 1,560 | $42,380 | $44,040 | $20.37 |
| Alaska | 160 | $41,720 | $42,480 | $20.06 |
| Maine | 40 | $41,710 | $42,670 | $20.06 |
| Missouri | 1,060 | $41,410 | $40,990 | $19.91 |
| New Jersey | 2,100 | $40,870 | $42,600 | $19.65 |
| New Hampshire | 190 | $40,630 | $41,770 | $19.53 |
| Tennessee | not published | $40,270 | $40,460 | $19.36 |
| Montana | 60 | $40,080 | $39,650 | $19.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,330 | $39,700 | $40,680 | $19.09 |
| Connecticut | 650 | $39,480 | $42,890 | $18.98 |
| Georgia | 2,100 | $39,400 | $39,780 | $18.94 |
| Texas | 4,710 | $39,260 | $40,490 | $18.87 |
| Maryland | 770 | $39,140 | $41,210 | $18.82 |
| Illinois | 1,340 | $39,100 | $40,880 | $18.80 |
| North Carolina | 3,350 | $39,100 | $38,830 | $18.80 |
| Arizona | 820 | $38,980 | $39,950 | $18.74 |
| Oklahoma | 1,220 | $38,910 | $38,720 | $18.71 |
| Delaware | 170 | $38,760 | $38,920 | $18.63 |
| New York | 7,320 | $38,740 | $43,750 | $18.63 |
| Hawaii | 270 | $38,580 | $40,160 | $18.55 |
| New Mexico | 400 | $38,570 | $37,120 | $18.54 |
| Iowa | 580 | $38,460 | $38,460 | $18.49 |
| Kansas | 580 | $38,370 | $38,830 | $18.45 |
| Ohio | 1,710 | $38,320 | $38,520 | $18.42 |
| North Dakota | 40 | $38,090 | $41,120 | $18.31 |
| Michigan | 1,500 | $37,940 | $38,400 | $18.24 |
| Virginia | 2,010 | $37,820 | $41,330 | $18.18 |
| Florida | 4,910 | $37,740 | $38,510 | $18.14 |
| Indiana | 990 | $37,270 | $39,330 | $17.92 |
| Arkansas | 300 | $37,070 | $36,770 | $17.82 |
| Wisconsin | 2,560 | $36,910 | $38,550 | $17.75 |
| Rhode Island | 160 | $36,810 | $37,020 | $17.70 |
| South Carolina | 1,380 | $36,710 | $35,790 | $17.65 |
| Idaho | 410 | $36,110 | $36,730 | $17.36 |
| Kentucky | 750 | $35,880 | $34,560 | $17.25 |
| Mississippi | 590 | $35,780 | $35,040 | $17.20 |
| West Virginia | 240 | $34,890 | $34,800 | $16.77 |
| Alabama | 720 | $34,820 | $35,430 | $16.74 |
| Nebraska | 470 | $34,600 | $36,700 | $16.64 |
| Louisiana | 1,030 | $33,490 | $33,900 | $16.10 |
| Wyoming | 70 | $31,680 | $36,100 | $15.23 |
| South Dakota | 80 | $31,650 | $34,170 | $15.22 |
| Guam | 90 | $26,400 | $27,550 | $12.69 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,910 | $23,160 | $25,510 | $11.14 |
| Virgin Islands | 30 | $21,840 | $26,510 | $10.50 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Data Entry Keyers$41,340 a year
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer$40,960 a year
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service$39,280 a year
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$38,630 a year
- Receptionists and Information Clerks$38,010 a year
- Gambling Cage Workers$37,580 a year
Common questions
How much do Couriers and Messengers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $39,200 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,550 and the highest-paid 10% more than $50,330.
How many people work as Couriers and Messengers?
About 68,640 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.