Couriers and Messengers
Office and Administrative Support
Sorts items by route, then walks, bikes, drives, or uses public transit to drop off newspapers, documents, packages, and other materials at offices, other businesses, and private homes. Some runs involve medical records, lab specimens, and medications between hospitals and other medical facilities; others require collecting signatures or payments. Instructions come by phone, two-way radio, or in person, and each pickup and delivery is logged, including how the recipient responded. Vehicles are loaded with care, especially when goods are hazardous. Suits people who like being out on a route, keeping a tight schedule, and handling items accurately from handoff to handoff.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$39'200
Median Wage Market Position
$39'200
What you might do
- Deliver packages and documents along an assigned route
- Pick up items and note the delivery instructions
- Collect signatures or payments from recipients
- Sort items to match the day's route
- Load the vehicle, watching for hazardous goods
- Write down what arrived and what went out
Skills that matter
- Taking delivery instructions by phone or radio
- Sorting items by the day's route
- Delivering lab specimens and medications
- Collecting signatures and payments
- Logging items received and delivered
- Loading vehicles, including hazardous goods
AI & the future of this role
Much of the job is physical pickup and handoff across real locations, which remains harder for software alone to replace. Route apps and locker networks might shrink some demand, yet timed in-person delivery and secure transfers still tend to need people on the ground.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details