Couriers and Messengers in District of Columbia
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$36,960
after federal, FICA and District of Columbia tax
Tax takes
$8,250
18.2% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$33,356
District of Columbia costs more than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in District of Columbia — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$45,210
Kept after tax
$36,960
Worth in national money
$33,356
State rank
4
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- This is a good state for the work. District of Columbia pays couriers and messengers a middle wage of $45,210, ranking 4 of 51 states and sitting about 15.33% above the national middle.
- Measured against other jobs in District of Columbia, this one sits low: 348 of 390 occupations with published pay, in the bottom quarter.
- The wage here flatters the reality. From $45,210 the take-home is $36,960. But District of Columbia costs more than the national average, so that money behaves more like $33,356 would elsewhere. Worth knowing before comparing offers across states. The average is higher, $46,650, because the best-paid pull it up.
- District of Columbia's median for couriers and messengers is $45,210, about 15.33% above the national figure and 4 of 51 states reporting. Whether that premium reaches the worker depends on the two adjustments below, which is the part a wage table cannot tell you.
- Couriers and messengers occupies position 348 of 390 in District of Columbia's occupational wage distribution, in the bottom quartile. National ranking and local ranking answer different questions and frequently disagree; this is the one a resident experiences.
- Retained pay after federal, FICA and District of Columbia income tax is $36,960 for couriers and messengers, from $45,210. The state's price level exceeds the national average, so the price-adjusted equivalent is $33,356. ⚠️ This is purchasing power and not a wage; cross-state offer comparisons that stop at the nominal figure systematically overvalue high-cost states. The mean of $46,650 sits above the median, the right skew typical of wage data.
Compare this career across states
Choose your filing status and local taxes, compare pay, and keep a shortlist.Compare wage and personal-pay outcomes by state, with selected resident local taxes and saved career choices.
Pay band: Couriers and Messengers
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $37,930 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $45,210 |
| Top tenth earn over | $55,540 |
| This salary | $45,210 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in District of Columbia | $36,960 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $38,506 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$6,270 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $43,285 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$7,583 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 111 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Half the people doing this work in District of Columbia earn less than $45,210. The published range is $37,930 up to $55,540, so an individual figure can sit a long way from the middle in either direction.
- One filer, no dependants, no pension contributions — that is the household behind District of Columbia's $36,960, worked from $45,210. That is on purpose. It lets states be compared with each other, not with each other's family circumstances. Local city taxes are left out. Locally this work ranks 348 of 390.
- The wage data and the price data come from different years. That is how each is published. The price adjustment behind $33,356 uses one figure for the whole of District of Columbia. A city and a rural county there can differ by more than two states do. Out of 390 occupations the state publishes, this one sits at 348.
- Reported values are medians; for couriers and messengers in District of Columbia the tenth-to-ninetieth percentile band is $37,930 to $55,540. Neither the median nor the band is an offer rate, and neither accounts for hours, shift differentials or overtime.
- The District of Columbia take-home of $36,960, on $45,210 for work ranking 348 of 390 locally, models the simplest household deliberately: holding it constant is what makes the interstate comparison meaningful. It also means the absolute figure overstates liability for most real filers, and municipal income taxes are outside the model entirely. The occupation ranks 348 of 390 in the state.
- Wage and price series carry different reference periods, each published on its own schedule. The real-terms figure of $33,356, worked from $45,210, deflates by a statewide parity that conceals substantial intra-state variation, concentrated in housing — so it supports comparison between states rather than the pricing of a move to a particular District of Columbia address, on work sitting at 348 of 390 locally.
Questions people ask
Is this the average pay for the job?
No — it is the middle. Half of these workers earn more and half earn less. The average is $46,650, pulled upward by the top of the range, which is why the middle is the fairer number to plan against.
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
Less than you might expect. The bottom tenth earn $37,930 and the top tenth $55,540, so most people doing this work in District of Columbia sit within a fairly tight band.
Does a bigger number here mean I am better off?
A larger wage in a dearer place is not automatically more. Adjusted for local prices, this pay behaves like $33,356 of national purchasing power.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; District of Columbia then takes its own share, leaving $36,960.
Can I compare this job across every state?
All 51 jurisdictions report this work, which makes the ranking a like-for-like one.
How does the published median differ from the mean for this occupation?
The median is the midpoint of the distribution; the mean for this occupation in District of Columbia is $46,650. Wage distributions are right-skewed, so the mean exceeds the median wherever a minority earn substantially more. BLS publishes both because substituting one for the other misstates a typical worker's pay.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($37,930 to $55,540) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to District of Columbia rather than a national figure.
How does the state price level affect real compensation?
District of Columbia's regional price parity sits above the national average, so nominal wages overstate purchasing power. Deflating take-home by the state price level gives $33,356 in national-average terms. ⚠️ RPPs are an all-items index; housing parities vary far more widely than the headline figure.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $36,960 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and District of Columbia income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.