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Couriers and Messengers

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $39,200 Median per year · $18.85/hr Most earn $31,550–$50,330

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Perform general office or clerical work, such as filing materials, operating duplicating machines, or running errands.
  • Use telephone to deliver verbal messages.
  • Sort items to be delivered according to the delivery route.
  • Obtain signatures and payments, or arrange for recipients to make payments.
  • Unload goods from large trucks, and load them onto smaller delivery vehicles.
  • Check with home offices after completed deliveries to confirm deliveries and collections and to receive instructions for other deliveries.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
8% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 23,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)69.9%
  • Medical and diagnostic laboratories7.1%
  • Local messengers and local delivery4.4%
  • Couriers and express delivery services4.1%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: Up to 1 month

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: Up to 1 monthEntry-level

Couriers and messengers are entry-level jobs. Most people start right after high school, and the usual experience needed to begin is up to about one month of on-the-job learning.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school. Reading, math, and map skills help with reading addresses, planning routes, and filling out delivery paperwork.

  2. Courier

    Up to 1 month

    Start delivering packages and documents, learning routes, delivery tracking, and safe driving. Most employers train you on the job, so no degree is needed.

Where it can lead

  1. Dispatcher

    About 1-2 years as a courier of experience first

    Dispatchers plan routes and assign drivers from the office instead of making the deliveries. Employers usually want you to know the delivery work well first.

  2. Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerk

    About 1-2 years as a courier of experience first

    This job moves you from the road to a warehouse or shipping area, where you track incoming and outgoing goods and keep inventory records.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and computer classesMath helps with estimating travel time and handling money, and basic computer skills help with the tracking apps couriers use.
  • Get a part-time job or start a small jobWorking at a store, restaurant, or doing neighborhood errands shows you can be reliable and on time.
  • Take a driver's education courseLearning safe driving early helps if you plan to drive for deliveries once you are old enough to get your license.
  • Join a student club or teamClubs that involve planning, teamwork, or event logistics build organization and communication skills employers look for.
  • Volunteer for delivery or errandsHelping a food pantry, library, or community group deliver items gives you real experience with routes, schedules, and handling items with care.

In college

  • Take business, logistics, or supply chain coursesEven one or two classes on shipping or operations show you how deliveries fit into a larger system, which helps you move up to dispatcher or warehouse roles.
  • Work a part-time delivery or driving jobDriving, delivering food, or working for a delivery service gives you hands-on experience with routes, deadlines, and customer contact.
  • Get a campus job in a mailroom, print shop, or shipping officeThese jobs teach you how packages and documents move through an organization, which is the core of courier work.
  • Keep a clean driving record and take a defensive driving courseEmployers who hire couriers often check driving records, and a safety course shows you take the job seriously.
  • Learn common logistics softwareBasic experience with tracking systems, spreadsheets, or dispatch software makes you a stronger candidate for office-based roles later on.

Tips for getting started

  • If you plan to drive for deliveries, get your driver's license and keep a clean driving record. Many courier jobs require both.
  • Build customer-service and time-management skills through any part-time job. Couriers are often the face of a company, and being on time matters.
  • Get comfortable with phone maps and delivery or tracking apps. Most courier work now uses them to plan routes and confirm deliveries.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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