occupation · 43-5021 · detailed
Couriers and Messengers — wages and employment
Couriers and Messengers earned a median annual wage of $38,340 in the United States in May 2024, with 71,920 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Couriers and Messengers earned a median annual wage of $38,340 in the United States in May 2024, with 71,920 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $29,880 or less, the best-paid tenth $50,590 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $36,710 to $38,340, +4.4 %. The best-paying state is Colorado at $44,610; the lowest Puerto Rico at $22,010. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $52,310. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 71,920 | $38,340 | $40,060 | $29,880 | $35,130 | $44,630 | $50,590 | $18.43 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 72,010 | $36,710 | $38,350 | $28,040 | $32,870 | $42,270 | $49,310 | $17.65 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $44,610 | 690 |
| California | $44,600 | 8,970 |
| Washington | $44,170 | 1,670 |
| District of Columbia | $44,010 | — |
| Minnesota | $43,890 | 640 |
| Nevada | $42,490 | 650 |
| Massachusetts | $42,250 | 1,170 |
| Oregon | $41,870 | 770 |
| Utah | $41,600 | 1,040 |
| Maine | $40,020 | 40 |
| New York | $39,780 | 7,530 |
| New Jersey | $39,710 | 2,490 |
| Illinois | $39,680 | 1,560 |
| Vermont | $39,600 | 60 |
| Missouri | $39,520 | 1,390 |
| Alaska | $39,170 | 190 |
| Oklahoma | $39,090 | 710 |
| Montana | $38,780 | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $38,620 | 190 |
| Rhode Island | $38,420 | 150 |
| Virginia | $38,380 | 2,760 |
| North Carolina | $38,260 | 3,760 |
| Wyoming | $38,230 | 110 |
| Maryland | $38,010 | 1,110 |
| Iowa | $37,730 | 720 |
| Ohio | $37,680 | 2,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,590 | 3,050 |
| Delaware | $37,560 | 350 |
| Hawaii | $37,480 | 440 |
| Indiana | $37,470 | 1,020 |
| Idaho | $37,360 | 230 |
| Texas | $37,310 | 4,380 |
| West Virginia | $37,260 | 290 |
| Arizona | $37,220 | 1,010 |
| Wisconsin | $37,170 | 2,110 |
| Georgia | $37,140 | 1,840 |
| Michigan | $37,130 | 1,700 |
| New Mexico | $36,790 | 370 |
| Florida | $36,760 | 5,650 |
| Tennessee | $36,690 | 2,080 |
| North Dakota | $36,400 | 50 |
| Kentucky | $36,350 | 850 |
| Kansas | $35,520 | 440 |
| Arkansas | $35,430 | 290 |
| South Carolina | $35,360 | 1,120 |
| Mississippi | $34,930 | 480 |
| South Dakota | $33,400 | 70 |
| Virgin Islands | $32,870 | 40 |
| Alabama | $31,870 | 1,020 |
| Nebraska | $29,570 | 670 |
| Louisiana | $29,520 | 1,120 |
| Guam | $24,960 | 100 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,010 | 2,410 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $52,310 | 420 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $49,090 | 70 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $48,770 | 190 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,490 | 1,190 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $47,290 | 120 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $46,810 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,900 | 950 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $45,840 | 460 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $45,790 | 390 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $45,780 | 1,380 |
| Napa, CA | $44,720 | 30 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $44,680 | 520 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $44,350 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,080 | 3,500 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $43,860 | 470 |
| Modesto, CA | $43,620 | 140 |
| Fresno, CA | $43,590 | 190 |
| Bellingham, WA | $43,030 | 60 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $42,920 | 40 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $42,890 | 480 |
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