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Couriers and Messengers in Iowa

Considering working as a Couriers and Messengers in Iowa? Below are the key facts. 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. Excludes “Light Truck Drivers” (53-3033).

What do Couriers and Messengers Make in Iowa?

For couriers and messengers working in Iowa, the median annual wage is $37,730 per year (or roughly $18.14/hour).Earnings range from $29,940 at the 10th percentile to $40,800 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$29,940	$14.40
25th percentile	$34,630	$16.65
Median (50th)	$37,730	$18.14
75th percentile	$39,900	$19.18
90th percentile	$40,800	$19.61

The job concentration index in Iowa relative to the national average — is 0.99.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, couriers and messengers earn a median of $57,344 per year ($27.57/hour), below the Iowa median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 428,359 couriers and messengers nationwide. In Iowa alone, approximately 720 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 770 couriers and messengers.

Top Iowa Metros for Couriers and Messengers

These are the Iowa metros with the most couriers and messengers in Iowa.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	260	$39,990
Cedar Rapids, IA	80	$37,810
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	80	$36,710
Dubuque, IA	60	$36,290
Iowa City, IA	40	$39,540
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	40	$34,600
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	30	$30,620

Top States for Couriers and Messengers Employment

View the states that employ the most couriers and messengers work.

State	Number Employed
California	8,970
New York	7,530
Florida	5,650
Texas	4,380
North Carolina	3,760
Pennsylvania	3,050
Virginia	2,760
New Jersey	2,490
Puerto Rico	2,410
Wisconsin	2,110
Ohio	2,080
Tennessee	2,080
Georgia	1,840
Michigan	1,700
Washington	1,670
Illinois	1,560
Missouri	1,390
Massachusetts	1,170
Louisiana	1,120
South Carolina	1,120

Highest-Paying States for Couriers and Messengers

Where couriers and messengers earn the most: couriers and messengers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Colorado	$44,610
California	$44,600
Washington	$44,170
District of Columbia	$44,010
Minnesota	$43,890
Nevada	$42,490
Massachusetts	$42,250
Oregon	$41,870
Utah	$41,600
Maine	$40,020

Skills

The most important couriers and messengers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for couriers and messengers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications to and from hospitals and other medical facilities.
• Obtain signatures and payments, or arrange for recipients to make payments.
• Record information, such as items received and delivered and recipients' responses to messages.
• Receive messages or materials to be delivered, and information on recipients, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, and delivery instructions, communicated via telephone, two-way radio, or in person.
• Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.
• Walk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials.
• Sort items to be delivered according to the delivery route.
• Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments and to other establishments and private homes.
• Unload and sort items collected along delivery routes.
• Plan and follow the most efficient routes for delivering goods.
• Check with home offices after completed deliveries to confirm deliveries and collections and to receive instructions for other deliveries.
• Perform routine maintenance on delivery vehicles, such as monitoring fluid levels and replenishing fuel.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Careers similar to couriers and messengers include:

• Baggage Porters and Bellhops
• Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
• Order Clerks
• Cargo and Freight Agents
• Freight Forwarders
• Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

Also Known As

Bank Courier, Bank Messenger, Bank Runner, Bicycle Messenger, Bill Distributor, Bill Hiker, Bill Peddler, Call Person, Call Worker Person, Caller, Circular Distributor, Copy Chaser, Copy Messenger, Copy Worker, Courier.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-5021.00