Couriers & Messengers (CEU4349200003, NAICS 492 light last-mile) average hourly earnings with DSP benchmark overlay. Hover the chart for loaded hourly rate, daily cost, and per-stop calculations.
The BLS Couriers & Messengers series (CEU4349200003, NAICS 492 — the light last-mile delivery sector) reports $25.81/hr. This is the right sector for last-mile work, but it still blends higher-paying parcel networks (FedEx Ground, UPS) with lower-paying DSP subcontractors. DSP delivery drivers operating non-CDL vans (ProMaster, Transit, Sprinter under 26,001 lbs) sit at the lower end: the $19–$23/hr benchmark band shown on the chart.
Pexara's capacity model uses the DSP-specific band, not the raw BLS headline. The “sector wage gap” annotation on the chart illustrates the roughly $3–$6/hr difference between the sector average and actual non-CDL DSP pay — a distinction that still matters for accurate per-stop cost modeling.
BLS hourly earnings for Couriers & Messengers have held roughly flat — from $25.03 to $25.81 over the past two years (about 3.1%), moving within a narrow ~$1/hr band. Unlike the heavy/CDL trucking sector, light last-mile pay has shown no sustained upward trend.
For DSP operators, the sector headline still sits above pure non-CDL van pay, so the DSP-specific band is the right input for per-stop cost. With light last-mile wages flat rather than climbing, near-term labor-cost pressure is muted — operators planning for $22–$23/hr non-CDL rates through mid-2026 remain well within range.
The loaded hourly rate (base × 1.27 burden factor for FICA, workers' comp, unemployment insurance, and benefits) currently sits at $32.78/hr for the BLS headline. At the DSP midpoint, loaded cost is approximately $27.94/hr.
Metro-level pay data for light truck and delivery drivers (BLS OES, May 2025) — median wage, full percentile spread, and what a route day costs in each market.