Couriers are hired by companies for the purpose of transporting goods and messages (in the latter case they’re called messengers). A courier can use various means of transportation for performing their job, from a car to a motorcycle, to even a bicycle. Some couriers may work entirely on foot, when their area of operations is relatively small. A courier may be additionally tasked with organizing and distributing the company’s incoming mail, and even scheduling their own transportation plans when they’re dependent on incoming packages.
There are no educational requirements for working as a courier, and the job isn’t seen as a very serious one by most who perform it – in the sense that it’s not a very high-paying job without any good prospects for future development; this has lead to a high turnover rate in couriers, and most take up the job only temporarily. On the other hand, this makes the market for couriers quite easy to jump into, as most companies are willing to accept candidates without any prior working experience or qualifications, providing them with their required knowledge on the spot.
Couriers are paid relatively low, and they don’t normally enjoy any extra benefits, bonuses or additional payment programs. The median salary for couriers in 2009 was $26,000. The annual salary can range between $25,000 and $36,000, and rarely goes over $40,000 (though there are some cases where this has been reported as well). Couriers rarely remain employed for prolonged periods of time, as there are no incentives for doing so.