Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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 Drivers” (53-3033).
National estimates for Couriers and Messengers
Industry profile for Couriers and Messengers
Geographic profile for Couriers and Messengers
National estimates for Couriers and Messengers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Couriers and Messengers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 68,310 |
3.6 % |
$ 16.48 |
$ 34,270 |
0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Couriers and Messengers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 11.47 |
$ 13.92 |
$ 15.89 |
$ 18.00 |
$ 22.22 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 23,850 |
$ 28,960 |
$ 33,050 |
$ 37,440 |
$ 46,220 |
Industry profile for Couriers and Messengers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Couriers and Messengers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Couriers and Messengers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Couriers and Messengers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
12,840 |
7.90 |
$ 16.98 |
$ 35,320 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories |
12,520 |
4.26 |
$ 17.02 |
$ 35,410 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services |
7,670 |
0.83 |
$ 16.45 |
$ 34,210 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
5,540 |
0.10 |
$ 16.25 |
$ 33,790 |
| Legal Services |
4,480 |
0.39 |
$ 14.53 |
$ 30,220 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Couriers and Messengers:
Top paying industries for Couriers and Messengers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Postal Service (federal government) |
60 |
0.01 |
$ 30.35 |
$ 63,120 |
| Telecommunications |
40 |
0.01 |
$ 26.15 |
$ 54,380 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) |
110 |
0.01 |
$ 22.10 |
$ 45,960 |
| Other Support Services |
190 |
0.07 |
$ 22.01 |
$ 45,780 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
1,830 |
0.03 |
$ 21.56 |
$ 44,840 |
Geographic profile for Couriers and Messengers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Couriers and Messengers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Couriers and Messengers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Couriers and Messengers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
10,670 |
0.65 |
1.33 |
$ 18.47 |
$ 38,430 |
| New York |
6,540 |
0.75 |
1.56 |
$ 19.29 |
$ 40,130 |
| Texas |
4,920 |
0.40 |
0.83 |
$ 15.83 |
$ 32,920 |
| Florida |
3,830 |
0.44 |
0.92 |
$ 14.64 |
$ 30,450 |
| New Jersey |
3,290 |
0.86 |
1.76 |
$ 17.49 |
$ 36,390 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Couriers and Messengers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Nebraska |
820 |
0.86 |
1.77 |
$ 12.89 |
$ 26,810 |
| New Jersey |
3,290 |
0.86 |
1.76 |
$ 17.49 |
$ 36,390 |
| Oklahoma |
1,200 |
0.77 |
1.59 |
$ 14.98 |
$ 31,150 |
| New York |
6,540 |
0.75 |
1.56 |
$ 19.29 |
$ 40,130 |
| Louisiana |
1,340 |
0.75 |
1.54 |
$ 14.33 |
$ 29,810 |
Top paying states for Couriers and Messengers:
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Couriers and Messengers:
| 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 |
7,580 |
0.87 |
1.80 |
$ 19.47 |
$ 40,490 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
4,360 |
0.76 |
1.57 |
$ 17.82 |
$ 37,070 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,850 |
0.63 |
1.30 |
$ 18.61 |
$ 38,720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,840 |
0.82 |
1.69 |
$ 20.06 |
$ 41,720 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,570 |
0.44 |
0.90 |
$ 16.65 |
$ 34,640 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,550 |
0.60 |
1.24 |
$ 19.33 |
$ 40,200 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
1,480 |
0.57 |
1.18 |
$ 14.40 |
$ 29,950 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
1,370 |
0.52 |
1.07 |
$ 15.73 |
$ 32,720 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
1,250 |
0.99 |
2.05 |
$ 16.88 |
$ 35,120 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
1,250 |
0.51 |
1.05 |
$ 15.27 |
$ 31,770 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Couriers and Messengers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Tulsa, OK |
640 |
1.53 |
3.15 |
$ 14.90 |
$ 30,990 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI |
970 |
1.23 |
2.53 |
$ 14.86 |
$ 30,910 |
| Dothan, AL |
70 |
1.18 |
2.44 |
$ 11.01 |
$ 22,900 |
| Charleston, WV |
110 |
1.12 |
2.30 |
$ 14.30 |
$ 29,740 |
| Lafayette, LA |
210 |
1.11 |
2.28 |
$ 15.49 |
$ 32,220 |
| Greenville, NC |
80 |
1.10 |
2.27 |
$ 14.06 |
$ 29,240 |
| Reno, NV |
240 |
1.01 |
2.09 |
$ 17.48 |
$ 36,360 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
1,250 |
0.99 |
2.05 |
$ 16.88 |
$ 35,120 |
| Fort Collins, CO |
160 |
0.97 |
2.01 |
$ 17.56 |
$ 36,530 |
| Springfield, IL |
90 |
0.97 |
2.00 |
$ 14.22 |
$ 29,580 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Couriers and Messengers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
100 |
0.27 |
0.55 |
$ 20.88 |
$ 43,430 |
| Modesto, CA |
80 |
0.44 |
0.90 |
$ 20.46 |
$ 42,550 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
790 |
0.74 |
1.52 |
$ 20.30 |
$ 42,220 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA |
60 |
0.57 |
1.18 |
$ 20.10 |
$ 41,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,840 |
0.82 |
1.69 |
$ 20.06 |
$ 41,720 |
| Danbury, CT |
40 |
0.52 |
1.08 |
$ 19.74 |
$ 41,060 |
| Salinas, CA |
40 |
0.23 |
0.48 |
$ 19.73 |
$ 41,030 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA |
110 |
0.45 |
0.92 |
$ 19.73 |
$ 41,030 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
610 |
0.54 |
1.11 |
$ 19.64 |
$ 40,850 |
| New Haven, CT |
140 |
0.51 |
1.05 |
$ 19.63 |
$ 40,830 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Couriers and Messengers:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Couriers and Messengers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Couriers and Messengers:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
