Pay by state · 54 states
Courier and Messenger Salary by State (2026)
Couriers and Messengers earn the most in Nevada at $46,520 a year and the least in U.S. Virgin Islands at $21,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $39,200. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $46,520Nevada
- National median
- $39,200BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $21,840U.S. Virgin Islands
- States reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Courier and Messenger salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of couriers and messengers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVNevada | $46,520 | $37,510 | $48,250 | 530 | $46,530 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $46,500 | $41,460 | $51,480 | 1,190 | $43,453 |
| 3 | VTVermont | $45,600 | $39,900 | $46,140 | 50 | $46,551 |
| 4 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $45,210 | $41,190 | $49,030 | 120 | $41,137 |
| 5 | OROregon | $45,170 | $38,130 | $49,500 | 850 | $43,701 |
| 6 | COColorado | $45,140 | $39,280 | $49,930 | 640 | $43,803 |
| 7 | CACalifornia | $44,970 | $39,420 | $48,480 | 7,240 | $40,616 |
| 8 | MNMinnesota | $44,860 | $39,070 | $47,930 | 440 | $45,487 |
| 9 | UTUtah | $42,840 | $41,030 | $42,880 | 850 | $43,332 |
| 10 | MAMassachusetts | $42,380 | $38,540 | $47,520 | 1,560 | $40,073 |
| 11 | AKAlaska | $41,720 | $37,160 | $45,690 | 160 | $40,759 |
| 12 | MEMaine | $41,710 | $38,560 | $47,980 | 40 | $42,978 |
| 13 | MOMissouri | $41,410 | $38,270 | $44,750 | 1,060 | $45,597 |
| 14 | NJNew Jersey | $40,870 | $37,680 | $45,830 | 2,100 | $37,563 |
| 15 | NHNew Hampshire | $40,630 | $36,490 | $49,350 | 190 | $39,005 |
| 16 | TNTennessee | $40,270 | $36,510 | $44,110 | N/A | $43,834 |
| 17 | MTMontana | $40,080 | $34,040 | $43,800 | 60 | $42,348 |
| 18 | PAPennsylvania | $39,700 | $35,870 | $46,110 | 3,330 | $40,688 |
| 19 | CTConnecticut | $39,480 | $36,240 | $46,830 | 650 | $38,104 |
| 20 | GAGeorgia | $39,400 | $35,100 | $45,950 | 2,100 | $40,917 |
| 21 | TXTexas | $39,260 | $36,540 | $45,310 | 4,710 | $40,450 |
| 22 | MDMaryland | $39,140 | $35,960 | $44,240 | 770 | $37,291 |
| 23 | ILIllinois | $39,100 | $35,940 | $45,070 | 1,340 | $39,116 |
| 24 | NCNorth Carolina | $39,100 | $35,600 | $41,740 | 3,350 | $41,452 |
| 25 | AZArizona | $38,980 | $36,920 | $44,470 | 820 | $38,718 |
| 26 | OKOklahoma | $38,910 | $35,870 | $43,320 | 1,220 | $44,295 |
| 27 | DEDelaware | $38,760 | $36,750 | $38,830 | 170 | $38,835 |
| 28 | NYNew York | $38,740 | $36,740 | $46,950 | 7,320 | $35,897 |
| 29 | HIHawaii | $38,580 | $37,830 | $42,480 | 270 | $35,088 |
| 30 | NMNew Mexico | $38,570 | $31,560 | $39,930 | 400 | $41,828 |
| 31 | IAIowa | $38,460 | $36,250 | $40,900 | 580 | $43,823 |
| 32 | KSKansas | $38,370 | $34,750 | $44,990 | 580 | $42,601 |
| 33 | OHOhio | $38,320 | $34,620 | $43,610 | 1,710 | $41,305 |
| 34 | NDNorth Dakota | $38,090 | $36,690 | $44,250 | 40 | $42,817 |
| 35 | MIMichigan | $37,940 | $34,780 | $42,220 | 1,500 | $39,432 |
| 36 | VAVirginia | $37,820 | $36,400 | $45,390 | 2,010 | $37,407 |
| 37 | FLFlorida | $37,740 | $34,380 | $42,190 | 4,910 | $36,494 |
| 38 | INIndiana | $37,270 | $35,490 | $40,310 | 990 | $39,934 |
| 39 | ARArkansas | $37,070 | $33,860 | $38,930 | 300 | $42,640 |
| 40 | WIWisconsin | $36,910 | $35,620 | $43,330 | 2,560 | $39,226 |
| 41 | RIRhode Island | $36,810 | $31,210 | $37,090 | 160 | $35,989 |
| 42 | SCSouth Carolina | $36,710 | $28,070 | $39,960 | 1,380 | $39,158 |
| 43 | IDIdaho | $36,110 | $31,200 | $40,000 | 410 | $37,814 |
| 44 | KYKentucky | $35,880 | $28,150 | $39,740 | 750 | $39,796 |
| 45 | MSMississippi | $35,780 | $29,780 | $38,190 | 590 | $41,149 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $34,890 | $32,060 | $37,740 | 240 | $38,985 |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $34,820 | $29,440 | $38,470 | 720 | $39,202 |
| 48 | NENebraska | $34,600 | $28,790 | $43,400 | 470 | $38,400 |
| 49 | LALouisiana | $33,490 | $29,020 | $38,630 | 1,030 | $37,968 |
| 50 | WYWyoming | $31,680 | $24,630 | $49,330 | 70 | $34,178 |
| 51 | SDSouth Dakota | $31,650 | $30,900 | $36,560 | 80 | $35,728 |
| 52 | GUGuam | $26,400 | $22,340 | $31,200 | 90 | N/A |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $23,160 | $21,950 | $28,140 | 2,910 | N/A |
| 54 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $21,840 | $21,840 | $32,290 | 30 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Couriers and Messengers, that changes the ranking: Nevada leads on raw pay at $46,520, while Vermont leads once prices are taken into account at $46,551.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Courier and Messenger pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Couriers and Messengers the most?
Nevada reports the highest median wage for Couriers and Messengers at $46,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($46,500) and Vermont ($45,600).
Which state pays Couriers and Messengers the least?
U.S. Virgin Islands reports the lowest median for Couriers and Messengers at $21,840 a year, $24,680 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Couriers and Messengers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Vermont first at $46,551 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $45,600. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.