How much do bike messengers in NYC make a day/week? Anyone know how many drops that is a day?

depends on who you work for, how good you are, how much cred you have with the dispatcher, etc. the bottom line is, sadly, not much. you don't do this job for the money.

I've made $150 in a day.

I've made less than $60 in a day.

Holey cr*p. You people definately need to get unionised or something. Risking life and limb for what someone on an oil rig earns per hour. Plus they get little things like medical/dental, life insurance, long term disability and this strange thing called a pension.

yeah, but they work on an oil rig

i work on a bicycle

which is why you should get paid more

If you're just starting out you should expect to make next to nothing. I think I made $45 on my first day.

how many hours is a day? do you work on weekends?

We work 20 hours a day, every day. Sometimes there will be bread, but often there is only water. The dispatcher beats us with a fahgeddaboutit chain if we get the packages damp.

Please send help.

9 hour days, 5 days/week

how do you (those of you who are messengers) find the time to post on bikeforums in the middle of the day?

how do messengers post during the middle of the day: the library

anyway, i worked in philly for a shi**y company called heaven sent. i made 23 dollars the first day. i didnt start making like 80 or more a day till this guy got hurt and i took all his steadies. then it was pretty sweet, i made 80 a day before noon.

I worked in DC for a while. Laser or another one will pick you up pretty quick. its much sweeter in DC. about 3.35 a tag is your take, but they charged me radio fees and insurance fees. i made about 350 or so my first week (was in january i think).

right now im out in cleveland. i cant even get a messenger job so i dont know. no one seems to want to hire, and i think there are like 5 messengers total in this city.

lived in san fran, couldnt find a company to hire me there either.

boston is pretty sweet, i worked for city express for about a week. they give you a radio and a bag so you dont have to buy one. you have to be licensed which costs about 25 bucks for the year. i heard one guy in boston made like 150 tags in one day, dont know if tha is just a myth.

Free internet in coffee shops waiting between runs? I know a few messengers here live right downtown, too, so they can be at home waiting for the next call from dispatch. I don't know if any of them have computers at home though...

I just started working in Philly...(not for heaven sent). My first day I made almost 70 but worked for over 9 hours. That was the most Ive made since but i guess i average about 55 a day. But i only work like 3 days a week and It's flexible if i need to take time off for a bit which is pretty important for me. thank god for dirt cheap rent in philly tho!

i wash freakin cars for minimum wage at a car dealership. i would gladly make the same money on my bike

What am I missing here? I putz around in my fixie around town, but don't get paid...

i messengered for a week or so a couple years ago, and had to wrestle up my own insurance, of course. because of a history of f**ked up health, the cheapest coverage i could get was $300+ per month. no way i could ever do it at that cost. i quit as soon as it was clear to me i wouldn't be able to pay rent, insurance, and still eat. i mean, come on.

You live in a city where you can pay rent and eat with minimum wage. Try doing it in NYC.

That guy is Adam Ford and the Boston Globe reports the 150 as truth. He is sponsored by Independent Fabrication (drool) and took 1st in sprints and the alleycat at CMWC'03.

https://www.thestranger.com/2003-09-18/city2.html

****** bag of the year?

"I don't think there was any doubt about who the fastest rider out there was," says Ford, 33. "That would be me."

Man, this guy sounds like a complete tool; I don't want to wish death upon him or anything, but him messing up a few tags would be funny.

Yes, but DC Ladycourier Shebba Farrin took the absolute 1st place in the marque race. So yes, ah, girls kick ass.

Awesome, I hope he cried.

You got to get things from people and take them to other people. And the people you get things from have to want you to take them to other people. And they have to want it bad enough to pay you for it. And the other people have to be there to accept it. And it's all kind of secret and coutureish.

true. but im a student so my minimum wage is really just like.... food and bike stuff. ... rent is covered cause i am smart. lol

in boston, city express is the bottom of the barrel. if you aren't friendly w/ a dispatcher and/or real fast: don't expect more than 20-25 tags in a 9 hour day. about half of them will clock in at an astounding $1.78 a piece.

i work for ground express now, and i break a $100+ guarantee every day without much of a problem.

if you are good at the job, the oppurtunity is there.