Delivery drivers and couriers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time delivery drivers and couriers in the UK earned a median £27,854 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 29% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (59th from the bottom).
One in ten full-time jobs paid under £21,289; one in ten paid over £39,586.
Median full-time pay: women £24,063 a year, men £28,248 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 41.6 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 62% of the roughly 146,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 28.7% (from £21,639), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 287,500 people in this line of work, 12% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £21,289 | £445.80 | £12.21 | £9,995 | £177.40 | – |
| 20th percentile | £23,805 | £490.60 | £12.25 | £13,008 | £247.70 | – |
| 25th percentile | £24,583 | £507.80 | £12.40 | £15,205 | £288.50 | £12.21 |
| 30th percentile | £25,326 | £519.70 | £12.58 | £17,414 | £330.60 | £12.25 |
| 40th percentile | £26,739 | £544.50 | £12.98 | £21,755 | £424.50 | £12.54 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £27,854 | £573.10 | £13.47 | £24,627 | £495.80 | £12.91 |
| 60th percentile | £29,856 | £610.50 | £14.04 | £26,597 | £537.20 | £13.39 |
| 70th percentile | £32,312 | £652.60 | £14.76 | £28,905 | £577.90 | £14.00 |
| 75th percentile | £33,472 | £676.60 | £15.14 | £30,420 | £612.50 | £14.34 |
| 80th percentile | £34,729 | £714.70 | £15.80 | £32,240 | £646.50 | £14.91 |
| 90th percentile | £39,586* | £805.00 | £17.61 | £37,167 | £742.90 | £16.83 |
| Mean | £29,419 | £607.70 | £14.32 | £23,701 | £469.90 | £14.04 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £21,639 | £438.10 | £10.06 | £18,823 | £369.00 | 101 |
| 2022 revised | £23,619 | £479.40 | £11.00 | £20,249 | £377.90 | 126 |
| 2023 revised | £25,191 | £523.40 | £12.00 | £21,104 | £425.80 | 117 |
| 2024 revised | £27,224 | £547.20 | £12.67 | £23,164 | £475.70 | 131 |
| 2025 provisional | £27,854 | £573.10 | £13.47 | £24,627 | £495.80 | 146 |
Delivery drivers and couriers by region
UK: 287,500 (± 20,800), April 2025 to March 2026. 1 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 35,600* | ± 7,500 |
| London | 34,600* | ± 9,600 |
| South West | 31,900* | ± 6,400 |
| East of England | 31,100* | ± 7,600 |
| North West | 29,200* | ± 6,500 |
| West Midlands | 24,500* | ± 6,500 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 24,300* | ± 5,800 |
| Scotland | 24,300* | ± 5,600 |
| East Midlands | 21,900* | ± 6,200 |
| Wales | 12,800* | ± 3,200 |
| North East | 10,400* | ± 3,200 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What delivery drivers and couriers do
Delivery drivers and couriers collect, transport and deliver goods using a range of vehicles, including bicycles and motor vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes in weight. (ONS SOC 2020, 8214)
Also covers: courier-driver, cash in transit driver, customer service team member (delivery service), delivery driver, meals on wheels driver, parcel delivery driver, van driver, bank courier, book deliverer, car collector, car deliverer, cit driver, courier driver, cycle courier, deliveroo driver, deliveroo rider, delivery courier and delivery rider (53 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Checks tyres, brakes, lights, oil, water and fuel levels and general condition of the vehicle
- Drives vehicle from depot to loading/unloading point
- Assists with loading/unloading and obtains receipts from customers for goods collected/delivered
- Drives vehicle to destination in accordance with schedule
- Maintains records of journey times, mileage and hours worked
- Undertakes minor repairs and notifies supervisor of any mechanical faults
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Entrants must possess a clean car driving licence. In order to drive vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, entrants must pass an additional test for a category C1 licence. Minimum age restrictions apply according to the weight of vehicle and whether the driver holds a Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence). NVQs/SVQs in relevant areas and at various levels are available.
Related
Road transport drivers (median £35,733) · Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs · Driving instructors · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026