Couriers and Messengers
Pick up and deliver messages, documents, packages, and other items between offices or departments within an establishment or directly to other business concerns, traveling by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, automobile, or public conveyance.
Also known as: Bank Courier, Bank Messenger, Bank Runner, Bicycle Messenger, Bill Distributor, Bill Hiker, Bill Peddler, Call Person, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Much faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Walk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials.
- Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.
- Unload and sort items collected along delivery routes.
- Receive messages or materials to be delivered, and information on recipients, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, and delivery instructions, communicated via telephone, two-way radio, or in person.
- Plan and follow the most efficient routes for delivering goods.
- Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments and to other establishments and private homes.
- Sort items to be delivered according to the delivery route.
- Obtain signatures and payments, or arrange for recipients to make payments.
- Record information, such as items received and delivered and recipients' responses to messages.
- Check with home offices after completed deliveries to confirm deliveries and collections and to receive instructions for other deliveries.
- Perform routine maintenance on delivery vehicles, such as monitoring fluid levels and replenishing fuel.
- Deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications to and from hospitals and other medical facilities.
- Use telephone to deliver verbal messages.
- Perform general office or clerical work, such as filing materials, operating duplicating machines, or running errands.
- Collect, seal, and stamp outgoing mail, using postage meters and envelope sealers.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.