Couriers and Messengers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of couriers and messengers to grow 8.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 18,200 more jobs), with about 23,800 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $39,200 a year ranks 737th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +8.0%
- Openings a year
- 23,800
- Median pay
- $39,200
- Pay rank
- 737th of 825
Is employment of couriers and messengers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of couriers and messengers to rise 8.0% (about 18,200 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the -4.0% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 54 office and administrative support occupations with a projection. That change ranks 96th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 228,900 |
| Employment, 2035 | 247,100 |
| Projected change | +8.0% |
| Openings a year | 23,800 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 228,900 jobs here differ from the 68,640 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 23,800 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 142nd most of 830 occupations. About 92% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,820 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for couriers and messengers rank?
The median of $39,200 a year ranks 737th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | -0.3% | 19,600 | $60,550 |
| Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service | -7.2% | 4,700 | $39,280 |
| Postal Service Clerks | -0.3% | 5,300 | $62,130 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | -7.6% | 61,300 | $45,260 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | -5.3% | 7,300 | $58,470 |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | -0.7% | 16,000 | $50,340 |
| Cargo and Freight Agents | +6.2% | 9,000 | $52,260 |
| Order Clerks | -17.5% | 6,300 | $46,170 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.