How much does a courier make?

The average courier salary in the United States is $36,228. Courier salaries typically range between $29,000 and $44,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for couriers is $17.42 per hour. Courier salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Couriers earn the highest average salary in Connecticut.

Courier salary

Q: What state pays Couriers the most?

Connecticut pays Couriers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $47,273 per year, or $22.73 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a courier?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a courier if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Hawaii you should be paid close to $44,642 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Courier?

A good starting salary for a courier is $30,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a courier in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for couriers is $36,542, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a courier can vary by state.

Q: Can you make good money as a courier?

Yes, you can make good money as a courier. The average hourly pay for a courier is currently at $16 an hour, with the industry being most concentrated in California, New York, and Texas. The top-paying cities are:

Q: How much do couriers make an hour?

Couriers make between $16 and $18 an hour. Most couriers are paid by the hour, and they can accumulate many overtime hours during the holiday season. They earned average annual incomes of $33,120 as of May 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Q: Which delivery drivers get paid the most?

Delivery drivers who get paid the most are delivery truck drivers. They can make an average of about $75,000 yearly (or 36.19 hourly) compared to $28,000 (or $13.85 hourly) for parts delivery drivers.

Average courier salary

$36,228

$17.42 hourly rate

Entry-level courier salary

$29,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Courier Salaries

The average salary for couriers in the United States is $36,228 per year. Factors influencing this figure include geographic location, years of experience, and the type of courier service provided. For instance, couriers working in urban areas often earn higher salaries due to increased demand. Typically, couriers with more experience and specialized skills command better compensation.

Highest Paying States

Some states offer higher salaries for couriers. For example, California and New York frequently lead in pay rates, reflecting the cost of living and demand for delivery services. As a courier, selecting a location with higher average salaries can significantly impact your earnings.

Job Opportunities

There are various opportunities available for couriers, from food delivery to medical transport. Each role may have different earning potentials and requirements. By exploring different sectors, you can find a position that aligns with your interests and offers competitive pay.

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Where can a Courier earn more?

Compare salary by location

65k

45k

25k

Columbus, OH$43,780

Chicago, IL$35,334

Compare salary by company

67k

47k

27k

Columbia University in the City of New York$51,298

General Dynamics$37,376

Courier salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a courier typically falls between $33,050 and $45,906.

zippia

$36,228yearly

glassdoor[1]

$45,906yearly

indeed[2]

$38,463yearly

Salary.com[3]

$36,433yearly

CareerExplorer[4]

$33,050yearly

Average courier salary by state

The average courier salary in Connecticut, Hawaii, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average courier salary states are Missouri, West Virginia, and Mississippi.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for couriers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New Jersey	$41,807	$20.10
2	Washington	$43,714	$21.02
3	Connecticut	$47,273	$22.73
4	Oregon	$40,250	$19.35
5	Pennsylvania	$36,956	$17.77
6	Tennessee	$36,856	$17.72
7	Minnesota	$41,699	$20.05
8	Michigan	$37,519	$18.04
9	Nevada	$37,601	$18.08
10	Hawaii	$44,642	$21.46
11	California	$43,382	$20.86
12	Oklahoma	$37,007	$17.79
13	New York	$40,650	$19.54
14	Alaska	$41,132	$19.77
15	Wyoming	$36,538	$17.57
16	Kansas	$37,189	$17.88
17	Massachusetts	$42,437	$20.40
18	Maryland	$41,119	$19.77
19	Arizona	$37,774	$18.16
20	Rhode Island	$38,568	$18.54
21	Ohio	$35,818	$17.22
22	Utah	$37,528	$18.04
23	South Dakota	$35,000	$16.83
24	Virginia	$37,600	$18.08
25	Kentucky	$35,148	$16.90
26	West Virginia	$34,529	$16.60
27	Maine	$36,454	$17.53
28	Louisiana	$34,789	$16.73
29	Colorado	$37,365	$17.96
30	Delaware	$37,995	$18.27
31	New Mexico	$36,467	$17.53
32	Montana	$36,757	$17.67
33	Florida	$36,839	$17.71
34	Texas	$36,323	$17.46
35	Indiana	$34,941	$16.80
36	North Carolina	$35,160	$16.90
37	New Hampshire	$36,588	$17.59
38	Idaho	$35,492	$17.06
39	North Dakota	$34,995	$16.82
40	Arkansas	$35,046	$16.85
41	Mississippi	$33,558	$16.13
42	Wisconsin	$34,776	$16.72
43	District of Columbia	$37,435	$18.00
44	South Carolina	$33,391	$16.05
45	Iowa	$34,930	$16.79
46	Vermont	$36,279	$17.44
47	Alabama	$32,593	$15.67
48	Nebraska	$34,614	$16.64
49	Illinois	$35,291	$16.97
50	Missouri	$34,586	$16.63
51	Georgia	$33,352	$16.03

Top courier jobs near you

Highest paying cities for couriers

The highest-paying cities for couriers are Seattle, WA, Los Angeles, CA, and Boston, MA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Seattle, WA	$43,780	$21.05
2	Los Angeles, CA	$43,588	$20.96
3	Boston, MA	$42,436	$20.40
4	Minneapolis, MN	$41,669	$20.03
5	Baltimore, MD	$41,226	$19.82
6	New York, NY	$40,621	$19.53
7	Portland, OR	$40,193	$19.32
8	Springfield, VA	$38,161	$18.35
9	Phoenix, AZ	$37,743	$18.15
10	Las Vegas, NV	$37,611	$18.08
11	Salt Lake City, UT	$37,516	$18.04
12	Denver, CO	$37,373	$17.97
13	Allentown, PA	$37,127	$17.85
14	Memphis, TN	$37,088	$17.83
15	Oklahoma City, OK	$37,082	$17.83
16	Miami, FL	$36,935	$17.76
17	San Antonio, TX	$36,807	$17.70
18	Portland, ME	$36,541	$17.57
19	Columbus, OH	$35,658	$17.14
20	Chicago, IL	$35,334	$16.99

Couriers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Courier salary details

A courier's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average courier salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a courier's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$44,000	$3,667	$21
75th Percentile	$40,000	$3,333	$19
Average	$36,228	$3,019	$17
25th Percentile	$32,000	$2,667	$15
10th Percentile	$29,000	$2,417	$14

Highest paying courier jobs

The highest paying types of couriers are phonathon caller, caller, and laboratory courier.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Messenger	$34,787	$2,899	$16.72	399
Courier Delivery Driver	$37,495	$3,125	$18.03	366,558
Laboratory Courier	$44,364	$3,697	$21.33	49,202
Medical Courier	$35,416	$2,951	$17.03	55,615
Courier Driver	$33,137	$2,761	$15.93	135,368

Top companies hiring couriers now:

Which companies pay couriers the most?

Courier salaries at Columbia University in the City of New York and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average courier salary at companies like General Dynamics Mission Systems and Cape Cod Healthcare are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
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
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
18	Touro College	$37,675	$18.11
19	Berkshire Medical Center	$37,514	$18.04
20	General Dynamics	$37,376	$17.97

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$37,000$36,600$36,200$35,800$35,400$35,000

MaleFemale

Courier salary trends

The average courier salary has risen by $7,285 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average courier earned $28,943 annually, but today, they earn $36,228 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for couriers over the last decade.

Compare courier salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average courier salary over time

Compare courier salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Courier salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2026	$36,200	$17.42	+4.2%
2025	$34,700	$16.69	+3.3%
2024	$33,600	$16.15	+1.6%
2023	$33,000	$15.88	+0.3%
2022	$32,900	$15.84	+3.2%

Recently added courier salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Service Corporation International	Courier	San Diego, CA	06/30/2025	$41,740
Sanford Health	Courier-Rural	Fargo, ND	06/30/2025	$31,305
American Red Cross	Courier	Maryland Heights, MO	06/30/2025	$33,392
American Red Cross	Courier (Variable Schedule)	Johnstown, PA	06/30/2025	$33,392
American Red Cross	Courier Position	Richmond, VA	06/30/2025	$33,392
Lifesouth Community Blood Centers	Courier	Tuscaloosa, AL	06/30/2025	$27,131
First Legal Network LLC	Courier	Sacramento, CA	06/29/2025	$37,566
Louisville-Jefferson Metro (Ky	Library Courier LU	Louisville, KY	06/29/2025	$32,369
Labcorp	Walking Courier	Seattle, WA	06/28/2025	$43,827
American Red Cross	Courier	Chicago, IL	06/28/2025	$34,436

Courier salary FAQs

What state pays Couriers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a courier?

What is a good starting salary for a Courier?

Can you make good money as a courier?

How much do couriers make an hour?

Which delivery drivers get paid the most?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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