Couriers and Messengers
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
43-5021.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$39,200
Employment, U.S.68,640
Median hourly wage$18.85
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $31,550 | $36,070 | $39,200 | $45,280 | $50,330 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 720 | $34,820 | 0.77 |
| Alaska | 160 | $41,720 | 1.10 |
| Arizona | 820 | $38,980 | 0.58 |
| Arkansas | 300 | $37,070 | 0.52 |
| California | 7,240 | $44,970 | 0.90 |
| Colorado | 640 | $45,140 | 0.51 |
| Connecticut | 650 | $39,480 | 0.87 |
| Delaware | 170 | $38,760 | 0.79 |
| District of Columbia | 120 | $45,210 | 0.38 |
| Florida | 4,910 | $37,740 | 1.12 |
| Georgia | 2,100 | $39,400 | 0.97 |
| Hawaii | 270 | $38,580 | 0.98 |
| Idaho | 410 | $36,110 | 1.07 |
| Illinois | 1,340 | $39,100 | 0.50 |
| Indiana | 990 | $37,270 | 0.70 |
| Iowa | 580 | $38,460 | 0.85 |
| Kansas | 580 | $38,370 | 0.92 |
| Kentucky | 750 | $35,880 | 0.85 |
| Louisiana | 1,030 | $33,490 | 1.21 |
| Maine | 40 | $41,710 | 0.14 |
| Maryland | 770 | $39,140 | 0.63 |
| Massachusetts | 1,560 | $42,380 | 0.97 |
| Michigan | 1,500 | $37,940 | 0.77 |
| Minnesota | 440 | $44,860 | 0.34 |
| Mississippi | 590 | $35,780 | 1.15 |
| Missouri | 1,060 | $41,410 | 0.82 |
| Montana | 60 | $40,080 | 0.28 |
| Nebraska | 470 | $34,600 | 1.04 |
| Nevada | 530 | $46,520 | 0.77 |
| New Hampshire | 190 | $40,630 | 0.63 |
| New Jersey | 2,100 | $40,870 | 1.11 |
| New Mexico | 400 | $38,570 | 1.04 |
| New York | 7,320 | $38,740 | 1.71 |
| North Carolina | 3,350 | $39,100 | 1.53 |
| North Dakota | 40 | $38,090 | 0.19 |
| Ohio | 1,710 | $38,320 | 0.70 |
| Oklahoma | 1,220 | $38,910 | 1.61 |
| Oregon | 850 | $45,170 | 0.98 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,330 | $39,700 | 1.25 |
| Rhode Island | 160 | $36,810 | 0.73 |
| South Carolina | 1,380 | $36,710 | 1.36 |
| South Dakota | 80 | $31,650 | 0.39 |
| Tennessee | $40,270 | ||
| Texas | 4,710 | $39,260 | 0.76 |
| Utah | 850 | $42,840 | 1.11 |
| Vermont | 50 | $45,600 | 0.34 |
| Virginia | 2,010 | $37,820 | 1.11 |
| Washington | 1,190 | $46,500 | 0.76 |
| West Virginia | 240 | $34,890 | 0.78 |
| Wisconsin | 2,560 | $36,910 | 1.97 |
| Wyoming | 70 | $31,680 | 0.56 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Light Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 2 | Parking Attendants | 1-2 | 0.956 |
| 3 | Driver/Sales Workers | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 4 | Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | 1-2 | 0.941 |
| 5 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 1-2 | 0.938 |
| 6 | Stockers and Order Fillers | 1-2 | 0.937 |
| 7 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | 1-2 | 0.935 |
| 8 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1-2 | 0.933 |
| 9 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1-2 | 0.932 |
| 10 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 1-2 | 0.931 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Couriers and Messengers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver/Sales Workers | Critical Thinking | 0.76 | 0.948 |
| Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service | Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.926 |
| Bus Drivers, School | Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.917 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.911 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.905 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Couriers and Messengers, excluding software Couriers and Messengers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows | 6 of 20 | 1.1x |
| SAP software | 6 of 20 | 1.0x |
| Email software | 5 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Access | 3 of 20 | 0.4x |
| Web browser software | 4 of 20 | 0.4x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 4 of 20 | 0.3x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 2.75 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 2.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 3.42 | 2.99 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.35 | 2.04 |
| English Language | 2.99 | 1.96 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.74 | 2.18 |
| Law and Government | 2.52 | 1.60 |
| Production and Processing | 2.31 | 1.69 |
| Administrative | 2.22 | 2.01 |
| Telecommunications | 2.14 | 1.03 |
| Communications and Media | 2.10 | 1.44 |
| Mathematics | 2.06 | 1.74 |
| Administration and Management | 2.05 | 1.43 |
| Computers and Electronics | 1.89 | 1.70 |
| Geography | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.81 | not rated |
| Education and Training | 1.62 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.62 | not rated |
| Mechanical | 1.61 | 0.92 |
| Physics | 1.57 | 0.86 |
| Psychology | 1.55 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.53 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.51 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.40 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.40 | 0.80 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.36 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.34 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.34 | 0.34 |
| Food Production | 1.33 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.22 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.18 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.18 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.18 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.18 | not rated |
| Design | 1.13 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Oral Expression | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.25 | 2.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 2.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.12 | 2.50 |
| Written Expression | 3.12 | 2.38 |
| Response Orientation | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Control Precision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Depth Perception | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.25 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Static Strength | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Stamina | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Rate Control | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Reaction Time | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Visualization | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Originality | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.25 | 1.62 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Sound Localization | 1.88 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.62 | 0.75 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Route mapping software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 2,290 | 7.52 | $23,760 |
| Ponce, PR | 210 | 7.45 | $21,840 |
| Arecibo, PR | 100 | 6.47 | $22,210 |
| Burlington, NC | 180 | 5.95 | $38,340 |
| Mayaguez, PR | 120 | 5.29 | $22,230 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 1,100 | 4.07 | $44,040 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 180 | 3.45 | $35,490 |
| Knoxville, TN | 620 | 3.31 | $42,610 |
| Greenville, NC | 100 | 2.90 | $37,050 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 1,360 | 2.80 | $42,800 |