Couriers and Express Delivery Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the couriers and express delivery services industry earns $52,166 per year ($25.08/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Couriers and Express Delivery Workers Earn?
At $52,166/year (equivalent to $25.08/hour for a full-time worker), couriers and express delivery services wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical couriers and express delivery services business employs 63 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average couriers and express delivery services business generating $20.9M/year with 63 employees at $52,166 each, total payroll represents roughly 15.7% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a couriers and express delivery servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $67,816/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 63 employees = ~$3,286,458/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $25.08/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $20.9M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Couriers and Express Delivery Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do couriers and express delivery services employees make?
- The average couriers and express delivery services employee earns $52,166 per year, which is equivalent to $25.08/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the couriers and express delivery services industry?
- The couriers and express delivery services industry employs 892,149 workers across 14,249 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 63 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).