How to hire a courier

How to hire a courier, step by step

Here's a step-by-step courier hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a courier job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new courier
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a courier do?

Post a courier job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your courier job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a courier for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect courier also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of couriers.

   Type of Courier	Description	Hourly rate
   Courier		$13-21
   Messenger	A messenger takes messages, packages, and other items to requested addresses. The mode of transport used to perform deliveries varies for each messenger... Show more	$9-28
   Courier Delivery Driver	A courier delivery driver is responsible for distributing parcels and packages from the warehouse to various recipients according to the area of designation. Courier delivery drivers verify the delivery details to ensure the efficient and timely delivery of parcels to prevent delays and possible customer complaints... Show more	$14-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Delivery Service
   • Safety Policies
   • Rehabilitation
   • Traffic Laws
   • Demonstrates Proficiency
   • Customer Service
   • FedEx
   • Alertness
   • CDL
   • Routine Maintenance
   • GPS
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Lab Specimens
   • DHL

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate postage machine and other mailroom office machines.
   • Train and certify in safe transportation of hazardous materials (HIPAA and OSHA procedures).
   • Work closely with logistics company to provide superior customer service, ensure prompt and reliable service to all enlist patrons.
   • Provide customer service skills while transporting emergency medication patients.
   • Receive strong reviews for customer service, communications, dependability and attendance.
   • Station in Frankfurt, Germany and Washington

   More courier duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the courier job description is a good way to get more applicants. A courier salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a courier in Missouri may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level courier. Additionally, a courier with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average courier salary

   $36,228yearly

   $17.42 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level courier salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average courier salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$43,780	$21
   2	California	$43,588	$21
   3	Massachusetts	$42,436	$20
   4	Minnesota	$41,669	$20
   5	Maryland	$41,226	$20
   6	New York	$40,621	$20
   7	Oregon	$40,193	$19
   8	Virginia	$38,161	$18
   9	Arizona	$37,743	$18
   10	Nevada	$37,611	$18
   11	Utah	$37,516	$18
   12	Colorado	$37,373	$18
   13	Pennsylvania	$37,127	$18
   14	Tennessee	$37,088	$18
   15	Oklahoma	$37,082	$18
   16	Florida	$36,935	$18
   17	Texas	$36,807	$18
   18	Maine	$36,541	$18
   19	Ohio	$35,658	$17
   20	Illinois	$35,334	$17

   Average courier salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$51,298	$24.66
   2	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	$50,370	$24.22
   3	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$45,650	$21.95
   4	Cape Cod Healthcare	$39,822	$19.15
   5	Mérieux NutriSciences	$39,710	$19.09
   6	Hackensack Meridian Health	$39,612	$19.04
   7	Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network	$39,203	$18.85
   8	Postmates	$39,126	$18.81
   9	ARUP Laboratories	$39,076	$18.79	3
   10	Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare	$38,596	$18.56
   11	Queens Health Systems	$38,440	$18.48
   12	Lancaster General Health	$38,311	$18.42
   13	XPO Logistics	$38,223	$18.38
   14	St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc	$38,059	$18.30
   15	State Bar of Michigan	$37,964	$18.25
   16	Self Regional Healthcare	$37,873	$18.21
   17	FedEx	$37,794	$18.17	6
   18	Touro College	$37,675	$18.11
   19	Berkshire Medical Center	$37,514	$18.04
   20	General Dynamics	$37,376	$17.97

4. Writing a courier job description

   A courier job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a courier job description:

   Courier job description example

   As a Courier, you will be responsible for pickup and delivery of mail, packages, linen, blood samples, fiscal data, deposit bags, legal papers, and other items as required to various locations within a 50-mile radius of Lawrence.
   DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   • Drive Hospital vehicle to perform a variety of errands. • Picks up and delivers mail to post office. • Delivers medical records to courthouses at times designated by court. • Delivers or picks up medical equipment between hospitals as required by nursing. • Delivers medical records to other hospitals as required - including facilities in the Boston area. • Makes bank deposits and Lawrence and picks up executive payroll and petty cash requests. • Makes pickups or deliveries for other departments as booked through the Purchasing Department • Transports specimens between offsite locations and the hospital. • Delivers linen and supplies to offsite locations that are affiliated with the hospital. Soiled linen will be picked up and brought to designated areas by the courier as well. • Contributes to productive and efficient operation of MDC & Purchasing Departments • Set up vehicle on regular preventative maintenance program and inform Purchasing Manager of scheduled maintenance. • Cross trains in Mail room and MDC.
   
   EDUCATION AND RELATED EXPERIENCE:
   
   Required: High school diploma or equivalent. Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work in a fast-paced environment and lift heavy objects Driver's License (in good standing)
   
   Preferred: Four months hospital or related experience.
   
   Lawrence General Hospital is a private, non-profit community hospital providing the Merrimack Valley & southern New Hampshire regions with patient-centered, compassionate, and quality health care for the whole family. For over 140 years, the dedicated doctors, nurses, and staff of Lawrence General have been committed to improving the health of the people and communities we serve.
   
   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce.
   
   All applicants that receive an offer of employment must have their driving record review and meet acceptable standards per LGH insurance carrier.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find couriers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your courier job on Zippia to find and recruit courier candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting couriers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new courier

   Once you've selected the best courier candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new courier first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a courier?