492210/Local Messengers and Local Delivery
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
150K
employees, 2023
150K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 5,367 US Local Messengers and Local Delivery business locations employed 149,558 people and paid $7.9 billion in annual payroll, $52,835 per employee on average. Employment was down 0.2% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
5,367
0.0% vs 2022
Employees
149,558
-0.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$7.9B
+12.8% vs 2022
Average pay
$52,835
+13.0% 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 Local Messengers and Local Delivery 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 | 803 | 29,906 | $97,284 | 0.18% |
| Florida | 463 | 13,424 | $35,572 | 0.13% |
| New York | 531 | 12,677 | $38,794 | 0.14% |
| Illinois | 225 | 8,417 | $72,686 | 0.15% |
| Texas | 377 | 7,936 | $37,675 | 0.07% |
| Ohio | 174 | 6,358 | $26,227 | 0.13% |
| New Jersey | 207 | 6,319 | $33,713 | 0.16% |
| Pennsylvania | 198 | 4,933 | $32,672 | 0.09% |
| Arizona | 114 | 4,477 | $122,059 | 0.15% |
| Washington | 177 | 3,888 | $45,655 | 0.13% |
| Michigan | 116 | 3,678 | $30,974 | 0.09% |
| Virginia | 129 | 3,665 | $34,874 | 0.10% |
| North Carolina | 125 | 3,349 | $30,158 | 0.08% |
| Colorado | 119 | 3,186 | $37,448 | 0.12% |
| Maryland | 116 | 3,064 | $32,367 | 0.12% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Local Messengers and Local Delivery employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 569 | 13,592 | $39,469 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 306 | 8,315 | $37,487 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 198 | 7,873 | $75,863 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 151 | 7,560 | $220,083 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 175 | 4,851 | $41,676 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 89 | 4,047* | $130,977 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 139 | 3,716 | $33,265 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 112 | 3,191 | $35,268 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 130 | 3,085 | $45,526 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 116 | 2,506 | $35,867 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 66 | 2,500 | $25,448 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 68 | 2,166 | $38,662 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 112 | 2,161 | $36,627 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 91 | 2,110 | $27,703 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 68 | 2,105 | $47,876 |
Business size
US Local Messengers and Local Delivery business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2,405 | 44.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 570 | 10.6% |
| 10 to 19 | 732 | 13.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 724 | 13.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 557 | 10.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 353 | 6.6% |
| 250 to 499 | 16 | 0.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 5 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 5 | 0.1% |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49Couriers and Messengers 492Local Messengers and Local Delivery 4922Local Messengers and Local Delivery 49221
Questions and answers
How many people work in Local Messengers and Local Delivery in the US?
149,558 people worked at 5,367 US Local Messengers and Local Delivery business locations in 2023, down 0.2% from 2022. That is 0.11% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Local Messengers and Local Delivery?
$52,835 a year per employee in 2023, from $7.9 billion in annual payroll (up 13.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Local Messengers and Local Delivery jobs?
California had the most, with 29,906 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (13,424) and New York (12,677).
Which metro areas have the most Local Messengers and Local Delivery jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (13,592), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (8,315), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (7,873) had the most Local Messengers and Local Delivery employees in 2023.
Are most Local Messengers and Local Delivery businesses small?
69.1% of the 5,367 Local Messengers and Local Delivery business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 10 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.