Couriers and Messengers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for couriers and messengerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$47,020
- District of Columbia$46,650
- California$45,870
- Minnesota$45,710
- Colorado$45,700
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$33,900
- South Dakota$34,170
- Kentucky$34,560
- West Virginia$34,800
- Mississippi$35,040
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $47,020 | $46,500 | $23 | +14.8% | 1,190 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $46,650 | $45,210 | $22 | +13.9% | 120 |
| 3 | California | $45,870 | $44,970 | $22 | +12% | 7,240 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $45,710 | $44,860 | $22 | +11.6% | 440 |
| 5 | Colorado | $45,700 | $45,140 | $22 | +11.5% | 640 |
| 6 | Oregon | $45,440 | $45,170 | $22 | +10.9% | 850 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $44,040 | $42,380 | $21 | +7.5% | 1,560 |
| 8 | New York | $43,750 | $38,740 | $21 | +6.8% | 7,320 |
| 9 | Vermont | $43,570 | $45,600 | $21 | +6.3% | 50 |
| 10 | Nevada | $43,230 | $46,520 | $21 | +5.5% | 530 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $42,890 | $39,480 | $21 | +4.7% | 650 |
| 12 | Maine | $42,670 | $41,710 | $21 | +4.1% | 40 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $42,600 | $40,870 | $20 | +4% | 2,100 |
| 14 | Utah | $42,570 | $42,840 | $20 | +3.9% | 850 |
| 15 | Alaska | $42,480 | $41,720 | $20 | +3.7% | 160 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $41,770 | $40,630 | $20 | +2% | 190 |
| 17 | Virginia | $41,330 | $37,820 | $20 | +0.9% | 2,010 |
| 18 | Maryland | $41,210 | $39,140 | $20 | +0.6% | 770 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $41,120 | $38,090 | $20 | +0.4% | 40 |
| 20 | Missouri | $40,990 | $41,410 | $20 | +0% | 1,060 |
| 21 | Illinois | $40,880 | $39,100 | $20 | -0.2% | 1,340 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $40,680 | $39,700 | $20 | -0.7% | 3,330 |
| 23 | Texas | $40,490 | $39,260 | $19 | -1.2% | 4,710 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $40,460 | $40,270 | $19 | -1.2% | — |
| 25 | Hawaii | $40,160 | $38,580 | $19 | -2% | 270 |
| 26 | Arizona | $39,950 | $38,980 | $19 | -2.5% | 820 |
| 27 | Georgia | $39,780 | $39,400 | $19 | -2.9% | 2,100 |
| 28 | Montana | $39,650 | $40,080 | $19 | -3.2% | 60 |
| 29 | Indiana | $39,330 | $37,270 | $19 | -4% | 990 |
| 30 | Delaware | $38,920 | $38,760 | $19 | -5% | 170 |
| 31 | Kansas | $38,830 | $38,370 | $19 | -5.2% | 580 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $38,830 | $39,100 | $19 | -5.2% | 3,350 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $38,720 | $38,910 | $19 | -5.5% | 1,220 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $38,550 | $36,910 | $19 | -5.9% | 2,560 |
| 35 | Ohio | $38,520 | $38,320 | $19 | -6% | 1,710 |
| 36 | Florida | $38,510 | $37,740 | $19 | -6% | 4,910 |
| 37 | Iowa | $38,460 | $38,460 | $18 | -6.1% | 580 |
| 38 | Michigan | $38,400 | $37,940 | $18 | -6.3% | 1,500 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $37,120 | $38,570 | $18 | -9.4% | 400 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $37,020 | $36,810 | $18 | -9.6% | 160 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $36,770 | $37,070 | $18 | -10.3% | 300 |
| 42 | Idaho | $36,730 | $36,110 | $18 | -10.3% | 410 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $36,700 | $34,600 | $18 | -10.4% | 470 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $36,100 | $31,680 | $17 | -11.9% | 70 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $35,790 | $36,710 | $17 | -12.6% | 1,380 |
| 46 | Alabama | $35,430 | $34,820 | $17 | -13.5% | 720 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $35,040 | $35,780 | $17 | -14.5% | 590 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $34,800 | $34,890 | $17 | -15.1% | 240 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $34,560 | $35,880 | $17 | -15.6% | 750 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $34,170 | $31,650 | $16 | -16.6% | 80 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $33,900 | $33,490 | $16 | -17.3% | 1,030 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 275 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $55,680 | $55,350 | 390 |
| 2 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $52,100 | $47,460 | 40 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,510 | $49,400 | 660 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,840 | $48,970 | 940 |
| 5 | Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $47,740 | $46,580 | 40 |
| 6 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $47,160 | $48,110 | 240 |
| 7 | Modesto, CA | $47,020 | $51,800 | 110 |
| 8 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $46,850 | $43,760 | 420 |
| 9 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $46,710 | $41,800 | 140 |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $46,170 | $47,730 | 440 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing couriers and messengerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $75,030 | $72,430 | 40 |
| 2 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $75,030 | $72,430 | 40 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $75,030 | $66,110 | 50 |
| 4 | Chemical Manufacturing | $54,560 | $50,580 | 120 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $54,560 | $50,670 | 120 |
| 6 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $52,390 | $50,700 | 50 |
| 7 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $52,390 | $50,920 | 50 |
| 8 | Outpatient Care Centers | $50,620 | $52,360 | 530 |
| 9 | Repair and Maintenance | $50,300 | $51,170 | 80 |
| 10 | Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $48,710 | $47,530 | 30 |
| 11 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $47,890 | $48,220 | 50 |
| 12 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $47,890 | $48,220 | 50 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do couriers and messengers make in the U.S.?
The median couriers and messengers salary in the United States is $39,200 per year (mean $40,970), and about 80% earn between $31,550 and $50,330.
How much do couriers and messengers make per hour?
Roughly $20 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $40,970 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays couriers and messengers the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for couriers and messengers at $47,020 per year (median $46,500).
What is the job outlook for couriers and messengers?
Employment is projected to change +8.2% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 27,900 openings per year.