Couriers and Postal Deliverers

ANZSCO ID 5612

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
36,600
Future Growth
-0.5%
Weekly Earnings
$1,237
Full-Time Share
70%
Female Share
17%
Average age
49

Summary

Couriers and Postal Deliverers deliver small items such as documents, messages, mail and parcels.

Tasks

  • sorting and sequencing items for delivery

  • delivering mail, parcels, documents and other items to customers' premises and mailboxes

  • receiving orders for deliveries from customers

  • collecting signatures and charges for cash-on-delivery orders

  • issuing and collecting receipts for pick-up and delivery items

  • keeping records of items received and delivered

  • maintaining walk books, directories, mail counts, equipment maintenance logs and other delivery records

  • loading and unloading mail conveyances and internal mail handling equipment

  • assisting with receipting inward mail, checking wrongly addressed, missorted, undelivered and redirected mail, and processing freepost and underpaid mail

Characteristics

Job Type
Clerical And Administrative Workers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
-0.5%
(or -200 jobs)
From
44,200
in 2021
To
44,000
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 46,400
2012 39,100
2013 37,200
2014 50,600
2015 45,100
2016 36,800
2017 45,200
2018 48,600
2019 44,100
2020 38,100
2021 44,200
2026 44,000

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 73% of people employed as Couriers and Postal Deliverers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 7 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,237 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,126
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,357

    Median hourly earnings are $31, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Couriers and Postal Deliverers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,237 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
83.7%
2
Health Care and Social Assistance
9.3%
3
Other Services
1.1%
4
Wholesale Trade
0.9%
5
Other industries
5.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

25.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.9% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.6% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Couriers and Postal Deliverers All Jobs Average
NSW 33.1 31.6
VIC 25.1 25.6
QLD 19.2 20.0
SA 7.9 7.0
WA 10.6 10.8
TAS 2.1 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 1.4 1.9


  • Around 62% of Couriers and Postal Deliverers live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
49
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
17%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Couriers and Postal Deliverers is 49 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 17% of the workforce. This is 31 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Couriers and Postal Deliverers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.9 5.0
20-24 4.3 9.3
25-34 15.7 22.9
35-44 18.9 22.0
45-54 26.7 21.6
55-59 14.4 9.0
60-64 11.3 6.0
65 and Over 7.7 4.2
Median Age 49 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Courier or Postal Deliverer. Some workers have a certificate I or II in driving operations.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Transport and Logistics Training Package VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Couriers and Postal Deliverers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 8.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 8.2 11.6
Certificate III/IV 20.4 21.1
Year 12 25.8 18.1
Year 11 8.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 26.2 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Couriers and Postal Deliverers who are reliable, have good people skills and who can work independently.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 41%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 41%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 39%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 39%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 37%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 37%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 37%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 34%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 34%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 34%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 32%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 32%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 30%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 30%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 30%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 29%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 27%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 27%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 25%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 25%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 51%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 46%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 41%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 31%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 28%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 28%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 27%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 26%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 25%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 24%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 24%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 22%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 20%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 19%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 18%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 17%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 15%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 13%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 13%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 10%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 50%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 45%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 45%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 43%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 41%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 39%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 39%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 39%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 37%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 37%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 37%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 37%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 36%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 34%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 32%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 66%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 58%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 55%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 53%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 52%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 51%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 50%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 49%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 47%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 46%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 46%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 45%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 44%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 44%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 44%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 42%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 42%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 42%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 36%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 31%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 57%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 38%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 29%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 29%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 96%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 94%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 85%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 83%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 83%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 82%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 81%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 79%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 78%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 76%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 74%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 73%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 73%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 70%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 70%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 69%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 43-5021.00 - Couriers and Messengers.


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