Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

43-5021 Couriers and Messengers

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 or Delivery Services Drivers" (53-3033).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
75,720 2.6 % $14.72 $30,620 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.80 $11.39 $13.81 $17.20 $21.35
Annual Wage (2) $20,390 $23,700 $28,720 $35,780 $44,400

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Messengers and Local Delivery 12,510 15.99 $14.40 $29,960
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 9,740 3.57 $15.23 $31,680
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 9,410 1.50 $15.21 $31,640
Legal Services 5,700 0.50 $13.30 $27,670
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 5,510 0.10 $14.51 $30,180

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Messengers and Local Delivery 12,510 15.99 $14.40 $29,960
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 9,740 3.57 $15.23 $31,680
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 9,410 1.50 $15.21 $31,640
Legal Services 5,700 0.50 $13.30 $27,670
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 960 0.31 $14.06 $29,250

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service (federal government) 90 0.01 $28.85 $60,000
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,560 0.05 $19.55 $40,670
Elementary and Secondary Schools 730 0.01 $18.21 $37,880
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 40 (7) $17.98 $37,400
Scientific Research and Development Services 30 0.01 $17.29 $35,960

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 10,780 0.63 1.21 $16.64 $34,620
New York 9,630 1.03 1.96 $16.17 $33,620
Texas 6,220 0.51 0.98 $13.17 $27,390
Florida 4,410 0.51 0.98 $14.58 $30,320
Pennsylvania 2,830 0.48 0.92 $14.07 $29,270




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 400 1.26 2.41 $15.79 $32,840
New York 9,630 1.03 1.96 $16.17 $33,620
Louisiana 1,930 1.01 1.93 $12.00 $24,970
Wisconsin 2,630 0.92 1.76 $11.97 $24,900
Nevada 1,050 0.78 1.49 $13.02 $27,080




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 410 0.58 1.11 $18.40 $38,280
Washington 1,180 0.36 0.69 $17.18 $35,720
Rhode Island 330 0.67 1.29 $16.83 $35,010
California 10,780 0.63 1.21 $16.64 $34,620
Connecticut 540 0.32 0.62 $16.54 $34,410





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,950 0.94 1.80 $16.46 $34,240
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,310 0.70 1.35 $16.04 $33,360
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,350 0.66 1.26 $13.33 $27,730
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,110 0.87 1.67 $18.92 $39,340
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,920 0.69 1.33 $15.91 $33,100
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,590 0.34 0.66 $13.78 $28,660
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,590 0.59 1.13 $13.87 $28,860
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,390 0.49 0.93 $14.82 $30,830
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,380 0.53 1.02 $14.25 $29,640
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,320 0.44 0.85 $14.58 $30,330




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hammond, LA 260 6.06 11.59 $15.69 $32,640
Columbia, SC 610 1.61 3.08 $11.94 $24,840
Tallahassee, FL 270 1.59 3.04 $13.42 $27,910
Baton Rouge, LA 580 1.46 2.78 $10.94 $22,750
Monroe, LA 110 1.45 2.78 $9.86 $20,510
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 110 1.43 2.74 $11.40 $23,710
Florence, SC 110 1.32 2.52 $11.36 $23,630
Lawton, OK 50 1.22 2.32 $11.39 $23,690
Corvallis, OR 40 1.19 2.28 $15.23 $31,670
East Stroudsburg, PA 60 1.14 2.18 $14.90 $30,990