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What is a Courier or Messenger?

Courier or Messenger Job Description 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.

What Do Couriers and Messengers Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Plan and follow the most efficient routes for delivering goods.
  • Obtain signatures and payments, or arrange for recipients to make payments.
  • Call by telephone to deliver verbal messages.
  • Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.
  • Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments, and to other establishments and private homes.
  • Check with home offices after completed deliveries to confirm deliveries and collections and to receive instructions for other deliveries.

What Every Courier or Messenger Should Know

These are the skills Couriers and Messengers say are the most useful in their careers:

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Mailroom Courier
  • Call Worker Person
  • Laboratory Courier
  • Vehicle Delivery Worker
  • Driver

Is There Job Demand for Couriers and Messengers?

In the United States, there were 95,000 jobs for Courier or Messenger in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 10,900 new jobs for Courier or Messenger by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 10,100 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Courier or Messenger are Colorado, Utah, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Mississippi, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What is the Average Salary of a Courier or Messenger

Couriers and Messengers make between $20,390 and $44,400 a year.

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Couriers and Messengers who work in Washington, Maryland, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.

How much do Couriers and Messengers make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $25,540
Alaska $32,840
Arizona $30,440
Arkansas $24,990
California $34,620
Colorado $32,470
Connecticut $34,410
Delaware $30,420
District of Columbia $38,280
Florida $30,320
Georgia $28,270
Hawaii $30,680
Idaho $24,770
Illinois $29,280
Indiana $27,780
Iowa $27,730
Kansas $29,620
Kentucky $28,300
Louisiana $24,970
Maine $29,920
Maryland $34,090
Massachusetts $32,750
Michigan $28,110
Minnesota $30,530
Mississippi $26,260
Missouri $29,120
Montana $26,870
Nebraska $27,050
Nevada $27,080
New Hampshire $27,480
New Jersey $33,620
New Mexico $27,710
New York $33,620
North Carolina $28,460
North Dakota $28,680
Ohio $28,750
Oklahoma $29,290
Oregon $34,160
Pennsylvania $29,270
Rhode Island $35,010
South Carolina $25,380
South Dakota $25,380
Tennessee $33,450
Texas $27,390
Utah $28,760
Vermont $31,840
Virginia $32,490
Washington $35,720
West Virginia $25,990
Wisconsin $24,900

What Tools do Couriers and Messengers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Couriers and Messengers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Route mapping software

Becoming a Courier or Messenger

What education or degrees do I need to become a Courier or Messenger?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Who Employs Couriers and Messengers?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Couriers and Messengers employed by various industries.

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming a Courier or Messenger might also be interested in the following careers:

Are you already one of the many Courier or Messenger in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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