Average Couriers And Messengers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Couriers And Messengers is $39,200 per year. The middle 50% earn between $36,070 and $45,280, with 68,640 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 227 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Couriers And Messengers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $31,550
- 25th
- $36,070
- Median
- $39,200
- 75th
- $45,280
- 90th
- $50,330
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This is a lower-wage occupation relative to the US labor market. Pay is below the national median for all workers.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most couriers and messengers earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for couriers and messengers from 2024 to 2034. Couriers And Messengers are projected to grow much faster than average, more than double the roughly 4% growth rate for all US occupations. Demand is strong and outpacing most of the labor market.
- Projected growth
- +8.2%
- 20,400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 27,900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Couriers And Messengers earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is Nevada at $46,520, about 18.7% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $55,680.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $46,520 | 530 |
| Washington | $46,500 | 1,190 |
| Vermont | $45,600 | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $45,210 | 120 |
| Oregon | $45,170 | 850 |
| Colorado | $45,140 | 640 |
| California | $44,970 | 7,240 |
| Minnesota | $44,860 | 440 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $55,680 | 390 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,510 | 660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,840 | 940 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $47,160 | 240 |
| Modesto, CA | $47,020 | 110 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $46,850 | 420 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $46,710 | 140 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $46,170 | 440 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see couriers and messengers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Couriers And Messengers rose from $29,690 to $39,200, a gain of +32.0% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $29,690 would need to be worth $37,388 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $39,200 is $1,812 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +4.8% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 4.8%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +32.0%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +4.8%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Couriers And Messengers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $39,200
- 2024
- $38,340
- 2023
- $36,710
- 2022
- $35,280
- 2021
- $33,050
- 2020
- $30,980
- 2019
- $29,690
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Meter Readers, Utilities
- $48,150
- Cargo And Freight Agents
- $52,260
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
- $53,040
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
- $60,550
Common salary questions for Couriers And Messengers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Couriers And Messengers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.