SOC 43-5021 · Dubuque, IA metro

Couriers and Messengers Salary in Dubuque, IA

The average salary for couriers and messengers in Dubuque, Iowa is $38,050 a year ($18.30 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $39,020: half of the 30 people in this job in the Dubuque, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($40,821).

$38,050average per year

$18.30 / hourMedian $39,020Take-home ≈ $31,919

  • $32K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $41K75th
  • $41K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-7%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 5Iowa metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Couriers and Messengers pay range in Dubuque

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,750 a year or less, while the top 10% make $40,860 or more. The middle half of couriers and messengers in Dubuque earn between $35,340 and $40,850.

  • $32K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $41K75th
  • $41K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,050$3,171$18.29
Median$39,020$3,252$18.76
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,340$2,945$16.99
Experienced (75th percentile)$40,850$3,404$19.64

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Couriers and Messengers salary after taxes in Dubuque

On the average salary of $38,050, a single filer in Dubuque takes home about $31,919 a year, or $2,660 a month and $1,228 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Advertisement

Is Dubuque a good place for couriers and messengers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Dubuque area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.3), so the average $38,050 buys what about $43,571 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Dubuque ($48,750). A typical home costs $279,463, or 7.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,050 is worth in another city

Couriers and Messengers salary in other Iowa cities

Dubuque ranks 3rd of 5 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($39,360).

All Couriers and Messengers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for couriers and messengers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($55,350).

Couriers and Messengers salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Couriers and Messengers in Dubuque, IA.

Couriers and Messengers salary in Dubuque: questions

How much do couriers and messengers make an hour in Dubuque?

$18.30 an hour on average, and $18.76 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level couriers and messengers salary in Dubuque?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,750 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,340, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the couriers and messengers take-home pay in Dubuque?

About $31,919 a year ($2,660 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,050. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do couriers and messengers earn more in Dubuque than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($40,821).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-5021; area Dubuque, IA (20220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.34, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.