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The differences between couriers and medical couriers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a courier and a medical courier. Additionally, a courier has an average salary of $36,228, which is higher than the $35,416 average annual salary of a medical courier.
The top three skills for a courier include delivery service, safety policies and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a medical courier are patients, customer service, and lab specimens.
| Courier | Medical Courier | |
| Yearly salary | $36,228 | $35,416 |
| Hourly rate | $17.42 | $17.03 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 13,088 | 55,615 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A courier, also known as a messenger, is an individual who delivers goods to consumers or businesses. Those could be important documents, special packages, items, and even messages from one person to another. Their means of transportation vary from roller skates, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, trucks, and airplanes. Some even travel by foot or any public transportation depending on the target location. Some are employees dedicated to companies, while others are freelancers who provide delivery services.
A medical courier is primarily in charge of transporting medical equipment and devices into different healthcare facilities, picking-up and delivering them in a timely and efficient manner. Their responsibilities include ensuring that all deliveries are safely packed or placed in vehicles, managing the invoices and other necessary documentation, reviewing and verifying the accuracy of all transactions, monitoring the inventory of materials, and ensuring that all receipts are signed and secured. Furthermore, as a medical courier, it is essential to maintain regular vehicle maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
Couriers and medical couriers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Courier | Medical Courier | |
| Average salary | $36,228 | $35,416 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $44,000 | Between $25,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | - |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | - |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | - |
There are a few differences between a courier and a medical courier in terms of educational background:
| Courier | Medical Courier | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between couriers' and medical couriers' demographics:
| Courier | Medical Courier | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% | Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |