492/Couriers and Messengers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.19M
employees, 2023
1.19M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 16,226 US Couriers and Messengers business locations employed 1.19 million people and paid $63.3 billion in annual payroll, $53,395 per employee on average. Employment was down 1.0% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
16,226
-4.7% vs 2022
Employees
1,185,718
-1.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$63.3B
+32.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$53,395
+34.0% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Couriers and Messengers in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,149 | 155,857 | $62,909 | 0.95% |
| Texas | 1,176 | 96,073 | $48,638 | 0.80% |
| Florida | 1,346 | 79,538 | $45,925 | 0.80% |
| Illinois | 594 | 66,805 | $43,696 | 1.18% |
| New York | 1,214 | 59,946 | $58,350 | 0.68% |
| New Jersey | 562 | 50,436 | $48,812 | 1.28% |
| Kentucky | 201 | 48,788* | $82,137 | 2.86% |
| Pennsylvania | 558 | 46,969 | $52,991 | 0.82% |
| Georgia | 439 | 46,578 | $64,333 | 1.06% |
| Tennessee | 536 | 41,444 | $52,741 | 1.39% |
| Ohio | 473 | 38,855 | $39,360 | 0.76% |
| North Carolina | 470 | 35,879 | $42,909 | 0.84% |
| Indiana | 289 | 26,398 | $58,890 | 0.90% |
| Arizona | 330 | 26,289 | $84,376 | 0.91% |
| Colorado | 346 | 25,161 | $48,146 | 0.98% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Couriers and Messengers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,353 | 84,955 | $57,153 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 490 | 56,747 | $44,441 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 813 | 52,639 | $53,347 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 370 | 46,474 | $55,169 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 84 | 38,655* | $83,020 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 311 | 35,730 | $72,665 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 203 | 28,409 | $53,088 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 336 | 25,413 | $109,087 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 333 | 24,300 | $40,791 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 337 | 22,988* | $58,853 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 236 | 22,433 | $90,914 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 324 | 21,566 | $33,975 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 541 | 20,992 | $50,278 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 293 | 19,579 | $43,021 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 167 | 19,056 | $48,669 |
Business size
US Couriers and Messengers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6,180 | 38.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,562 | 9.6% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,959 | 12.1% |
| 20 to 49 | 2,170 | 13.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,964 | 12.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 1,611 | 9.9% |
| 250 to 499 | 396 | 2.4% |
| 500 to 999 | 200 | 1.2% |
| 1,000 or more | 184 | 1.1% |
Related industries
Couriers and Messengers and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4921 | Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 1,036,160 | $53,476 |
| 4922 | Local Messengers and Local Delivery | 149,558 | $52,835 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Couriers and Messengers in the US?
1.19 million people worked at 16,226 US Couriers and Messengers business locations in 2023, down 1.0% from 2022. That is 0.85% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Couriers and Messengers?
$53,395 a year per employee in 2023, from $63.3 billion in annual payroll (up 34.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Couriers and Messengers jobs?
California had the most, with 155,857 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (96,073) and Florida (79,538).
Which metro areas have the most Couriers and Messengers jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (84,955), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (56,747), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (52,639) had the most Couriers and Messengers employees in 2023.
Are most Couriers and Messengers businesses small?
59.8% of the 16,226 Couriers and Messengers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 384 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.