Guide

What to Pay for Errand Running and One-Off Personal Assistant Help

Errand running is priced by the hour almost everywhere, but the per-errand cost varies a lot by what's actually involved — here's what to expect and how to bundle a list without it turning into a maze.

What errand running actually costs

Errand running averages around $28 per hour nationally, with most states falling between about $25 and $35.50 per hour. City rates run a bit higher in expensive metros — New York and Seattle both average around $38/hour, with typical total invoices (for a bundle of errands, not just one hour) around $90–$98. On the freelance/remote side, ongoing personal-assistant-style help is typically quoted lower, with a median around $15/hour and a common range of $10–$20/hour for less time-sensitive, less local work.

Typical costs by errand type

• Dry cleaning drop-off or pickup: $15–$40
• Store returns: $20–$40
• Mailing packages: $20–$45
• Grocery pickup (already ordered): $20–$50
• Prescription pickup: $25–$45
• Grocery shopping from a list: $30–$60
• Waiting in line for something: $30–$125, depending on how long the wait actually runs

Why bundled errand lists need extra structure

A single "run a few errands for me" post is one of the hardest for a tasker to quote accurately, because "a few" could mean two nearby stops or six spread across town. Structure the list the way you'd want it read:

• Number the stops in the order you'd like them done
• Note the address or general area for each stop
• Flag anything with a hard deadline (a pickup window, a closing time) separately from flexible stops
• Say whether you're reimbursing purchases separately or the total budget needs to include them

This is one of the clearest cases where writing the post as a checklist rather than a paragraph changes the quality of the responses you get.

Hourly vs. per-errand pricing

For a tight, predictable list of two or three nearby stops, per-errand flat pricing (using the ranges above) is usually simpler for both sides. For a longer or more spread-out list, hourly makes more sense, since travel time between stops is real and hard to estimate accurately in advance. Our hourly vs. fixed pricing guide covers this tradeoff in more detail.

Errands that are really pet care or something else

A single vet drop-off or one dog-walk is sometimes posted as a generic "errand" when it's really closer to a pet-care task with its own pricing norms — see our pet sitting rates guide if animal care is actually the core of the job. Similarly, "pick up my dry cleaning and also help me set up for a party this weekend" is really two different tasks bundled into one post and is likely to get a confused quote as a result.

Setting a fair budget for a bundled list

Estimate the total by adding a reasonable per-stop cost from the list above, plus travel time between stops at the hourly rate for your area, and post that as a range rather than a flat guess — the same approach we recommend generally in how to price a one-off task.

Recurring errands vs. a one-off request

If you find yourself needing the same kind of errand run regularly — a weekly grocery run, a standing pharmacy pickup — it's worth eventually setting up a recurring arrangement with one person you trust rather than re-posting a one-off task every time. A recurring relationship lets both sides settle into a routine (they learn your preferences, you stop re-explaining the same details) that a fresh one-off post can't replicate. But for a genuinely irregular or one-time need, posting it fresh each time is simpler than trying to force a recurring structure onto something that doesn't actually recur predictably.

When it's actually cheaper to do it yourself

Errand running makes the most sense when your own time is worth more than the hourly rate, or when you genuinely can't get away during the hours something needs doing (a weekday-only pickup window while you're at work). It makes less sense for a single, five-minute stop directly on your own regular route — the overhead of posting, waiting for a response, and coordinating timing can easily exceed the time it would take to just do it yourself. A useful rough test: if the errand takes less time than it would take to write and post a clear task description for it, it's probably not worth outsourcing on its own, though it may still make sense bundled into a longer list.

Handling reimbursement for purchases

If any errand involves the runner spending their own money — groceries, a prescription copay, a return that needs cash back — decide up front how that gets settled: you provide funds in advance, you reimburse immediately with a receipt, or the budget you post already assumes a certain purchase total is included. Leaving this vague is a common source of awkwardness after the fact, especially for a first-time arrangement where neither side has an established way of handling it yet. A simple line in the post — "budget includes up to $40 in purchases, receipts appreciated" — heads off the entire conversation.