Couriers and Messengers
Couriers and Messengers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 6.3% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Couriers and Messengers workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,970 Workforce in 2023
The Couriers and Messengers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Couriers and Messengers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$46,194 Average Wage
In 2023, Couriers and Messengers earned an average of $46,194.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Couriers and Messengers.
Salary distribution for Couriers and Messengers.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
29,835 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -14.4%
25,535 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -26.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Couriers and Messengers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Couriers and Messengers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Couriers and Messengers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Couriers and Messengers.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Couriers and Messengers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Couriers and Messengers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 8,290 employees, $46,422 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Couriers and Messengers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,290 employees, $45,329 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,210 employees, $45,036 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 810 employees, $44,314 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 700 employees, $43,477 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 600 employees, $51,053 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 550 employees, $50,132 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 470 employees, $48,237 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 420 employees, $55,357 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 200 employees, $43,211 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 190 employees, $44,886 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Couriers and Messengers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Couriers and Messengers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Couriers and Messengers in 2023 was 8,970 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Couriers and Messengers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Couriers and Messengers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Couriers and Messengers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Couriers and Messengers in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.
Common majors for Couriers and Messengers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Couriers and Messengers workers.
Education level distribution for Couriers and Messengers.
Skills
Couriers and Messengers need many skills, but most especially Time Management, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Couriers and Messengers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Couriers and Messengers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Couriers and Messengers include Customer and Personal Service, Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Couriers and Messengers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Couriers and Messengers include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Far Vision, Written Comprehension, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for Couriers and Messengers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Couriers and Messengers.
Daily Activities
Couriers and Messengers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Handling and Moving Objects.
Most important work activities for Couriers and Messengers.
About
Couriers and Messengers
The average yearly wage for Couriers and Messengers was $46,194 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-5021 - Couriers and Messengers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Couriers and Messengers reports an average salary of $46,194.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,970 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.