SOC 43-5021 · Traverse City, MI metro

Couriers and Messengers Salary in Traverse City, MI

The average salary for couriers and messengers in Traverse City, Michigan is $40,190 a year ($19.32 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $39,710: half of the 30 people in this job in the Traverse City, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($40,821).

$40,190average per year

$19.32 / hourMedian $39,710Take-home ≈ $33,011

  • $37K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $40KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-2%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 8Michigan metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Couriers and Messengers pay range in Traverse City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,990 or more. The middle half of couriers and messengers in Traverse City earn between $38,410 and $42,610.

  • $37K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $40KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$40,190$3,349$19.32
Median$39,710$3,309$19.09
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,410$3,201$18.47
Experienced (75th percentile)$42,610$3,551$20.49

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

Couriers and Messengers salary after taxes in Traverse City

On the average salary of $40,190, a single filer in Traverse City takes home about $33,011 a year, or $2,751 a month and $1,270 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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

Prices in the Traverse City area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.4), so the average $40,190 buys what about $43,043 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Traverse City ($47,470). A typical home costs $421,806, or 10.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $40,190 is worth in another city

Couriers and Messengers salary in other Michigan cities

Traverse City ranks 1st of 8 Michigan metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Couriers and Messengers salaries in Michigan

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

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Couriers and Messengers salary in Traverse City: questions

How much do couriers and messengers make an hour in Traverse City?

$19.32 an hour on average, and $19.09 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,410, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $33,011 a year ($2,751 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,190.

Do couriers and messengers earn more in Traverse City than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as 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 Traverse City, MI (45900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • 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 (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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