BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasCouriers and Messengers

O*NET · 43-5021.00

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 called Bank Courier · Bank Messenger · Bicycle Messenger · Call Person · Call Worker Person · Caller · Circular Distributor · Copy Messenger
46 more

Courier · Courier Delivery Driver · Court Messenger · Crew Caller · Deliverer · Delivery Clerk · Delivery Courier · Delivery Driver · Delivery Person · Diplomatic Courier · DOT Courier · DOT Courier (Department of Transportation Courier) · Driver · Driver Messenger · Food Courier · Freight Caller · General Runner · Lab Courier · Lab Courier (Laboratory Courier) · Mail Carrier · Mail Messenger · Mailroom Courier · Medical Courier · Merchandise Deliverer · Message Clerk · Messenger · Messenger Floorperson · Newspaper Delivery Person · Office Messenger · Office Runner · Outside Deliverer · Package Delivery Room Service Runner · Pick Up Man · Pick Up Worker · Proof Carrier · Sample Distributor · Security Messenger · Service Runner · Singing Messenger · Swing Driver · Telegraph Messenger · Telegraph Office Route Aide · Telephone Messenger · Transfer Specialist · Transporter · Vehicle Delivery Worker

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code CRS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Driver/Sales Workers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CRSConventional · Realistic · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional5.07
  • R Realistic4.47
  • S Social2.96
  • E Enterprising2.86
  • I Investigative1.07
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma7%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent80%
  • Some College Courses13%
Related work experience
Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (31%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (46%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (50%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic3.32.9Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Time Management3.32.8Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Speakingbasic3.32.6Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Writingbasic3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Determine whether a subordinate has a good excuse for being late
  • Service Orientation3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.92.0Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Coordination2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Social Perceptiveness2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Monitoringbasic2.82.1Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
  • Complex Problem Solving2.62.4Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
Show the other 23
  • Active Learningbasic2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Operation and Control2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Mathematicsbasic2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Operations Monitoring2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Persuasion2.41.8Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Negotiation2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Systems Analysis2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Instructing1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Troubleshooting1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Management of Personnel Resources1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Quality Control Analysis1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Equipment Maintenance1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Management of Financial Resources1.60.8
  • Management of Material Resources1.60.6
  • Operations Analysis1.40.4
  • Technology Design1.40.4
  • Equipment Selection1.1—
  • Repairing1.1—
  • Sciencebasic1.1—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Programming1.0—

Tasks

10 core · 6 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications to and from hospitals and other medical facilities.4.4
  2. Walk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials.4.2
  3. Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.4.1
  4. 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.4.1
  5. Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments and to other establishments and private homes.4.1
  6. Record information, such as items received and delivered and recipients' responses to messages.4.0
  7. Unload and sort items collected along delivery routes.3.9
  8. Plan and follow the most efficient routes for delivering goods.3.9
  9. Sort items to be delivered according to the delivery route.3.9
  10. Perform routine maintenance on delivery vehicles, such as monitoring fluid levels and replenishing fuel.3.8
Show the other 6
  1. Obtain signatures and payments, or arrange for recipients to make payments.4.1
  2. Open, sort, and distribute incoming mail.3.9
  3. Unload goods from large trucks, and load them onto smaller delivery vehicles.3.9
  4. Check with home offices after completed deliveries to confirm deliveries and collections and to receive instructions for other deliveries.3.8
  5. Use telephone to deliver verbal messages.3.5
  6. Perform general office or clerical work, such as filing materials, operating duplicating machines, or running errands.3.4

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service3.42.0Level 1 looks like: Process a customer's dry-cleaning drop off
  • Transportation3.43.0Level 4 looks like: Drive a semi-truck through a busy city
  • English Language3.02.0Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Public Safety and Security2.72.2Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Law and Government2.51.6Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Production and Processing2.31.7Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Administrative2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Administration and Management2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
Show all 33
  • Communications and Media2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Mathematics2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Telecommunications2.11.0Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Computers and Electronics1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Operate a media player to watch a training video
  • Geography1.91.3Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.80.9Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Education and Training1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Show someone how to bowl
  • Mechanical1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Physics1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Psychology1.60.6Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Economics and Accounting1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Engineering and Technology1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Biology1.40.8Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Building and Construction1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Sales and Marketing1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Food Production1.30.5Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Foreign Language1.30.3Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.30.6Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Chemistry1.2—
  • Fine Arts1.2—
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.2—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.2—
  • Design1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension3.63.1Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression3.63.0Level 2 looks like: Place an order at a restaurant drive-thru
  • Far Vision3.32.8Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Multilimb Coordination3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Operate a forklift truck in a warehouse
  • Near Vision3.33.3Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Speech Recognition3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Written Comprehension3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Category Flexibility3.12.8Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
Show all 52
  • Finger Dexterity3.12.5Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Information Ordering3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Manual Dexterity3.12.8
  • Problem Sensitivity3.12.6Level 2 looks like: Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't work
  • Speech Clarity3.12.9
  • Written Expression3.12.4Level 1 looks like: Write a note to remind someone to take food out of the freezer
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Control Precision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Deductive Reasoning3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Depth Perception3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Inductive Reasoning3.02.3Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Perceptual Speed3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Response Orientation3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Use either the brake or gas pedal when your vehicle is skidding
  • Selective Attention2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Static Strength2.92.6
  • Time Sharing2.92.9Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Trunk Strength2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Extent Flexibility2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Rate Control2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Reaction Time2.82.3Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Spatial Orientation2.82.3Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Stamina2.82.6
  • Gross Body Coordination2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Auditory Attention2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Glare Sensitivity2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Dynamic Strength2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Visualization2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Flexibility of Closure2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Originality2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.31.6Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Fluency of Ideas2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Memorization2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Peripheral Vision2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Night Vision2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Number Facility2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Speed of Closure2.02.0Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Sound Localization1.92.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Explosive Strength1.80.8
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.60.8

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.23.4Level 4 looks like: Drive an 18-wheel tractor-trailer
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.03.6Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Getting Information3.72.9
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.65.3Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.53.7Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.52.6
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.34.1Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.22.7
Show all 41
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.12.7
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.03.2Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Documenting/Recording Information2.82.1Level 1 looks like: Record the weight of a patient during a routine health exam
  • Thinking Creatively2.82.5Level 1 looks like: Change the spacing on a printed report
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.71.0Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings2.72.7
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.72.1Level 1 looks like: Make appointments for patients using a predetermined schedule
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge2.72.7
  • Processing Information2.61.9Level 1 looks like: Calculate the costs for shipping packages
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.61.6Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Training and Teaching Others2.62.6
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.42.0Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.41.6Level 1 looks like: Determine whether to remove a tree that has been damaged
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.43.0Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Working with Computers2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.32.4Level 1 looks like: Show a coworker how to operate a piece of equipment
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.31.7Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Developing and Building Teams2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.21.6Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.22.1Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates1.91.2Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Telephone Conversations5.0
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.8
  • Contact With Others4.7
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7
  • Time Pressure4.7
  • E-Mail4.4
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.2
  • Spend Time Sitting4.2
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.1
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.1

Technology

5 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (4)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (1)
  • Route mapping software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Postal Service Mail Carriers
  2. Light Truck Drivers
  3. Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
  4. Postal Service Clerks
  5. Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
  6. Driver/Sales Workers
  7. Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
  8. Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
  9. Cargo and Freight Agents
  10. Baggage Porters and Bellhops

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.