46 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Spring 2012

Elka Torpey

Elka Torpey is an 

economist in the 

Office of Occupational Statistics 

and Employment 

Projections, BLS. 

She is available 

at torpey.elka@

bls.gov.

You’re a what ?

Process server

I

f Rebecca Reid is at your door, you might 

be in trouble. Legal trouble, that is. As a 

process server, it’s Rebecca’s job to hand 

deliver legal documents to the people involved 

in court cases.

These legal documents range from a 

summons to appear in court to a subpoena 

for producing evidence. How Rebecca does 

her job depends on the documents she serves. 

For example, divorce papers often must be 

delivered directly to the person named on the 

document; an eviction notice usually can be 

given to a person’s spouse. After delivery, she 

files a report—or proof of service—stating 

when, where, and how the document was 

delivered.

Service of process is required by law. 

Court rules usually prevent people who are 

associated with a case, such as a lawyer or 

another party to the case, from serving the 

documents. In some states, sheriffs serve 

them. For many cases, however, lawyers—

or others who need papers served—hire a 

professional process server to do it.

Clients may contact self-employed process servers, like Rebecca, or hire someone 

through a company that specializes in process 

serving. Process servers first meet with the 

client to discuss a single job or a series of 

deliveries and the date by which the documents must be served. Then, they pick up the 

documents and, for some jobs, receive payment in advance.

Many of Rebecca’s jobs are straightforward: She visits people at their homes or 

businesses and gives them the papers. She 

also makes a note of the person’s appearance 

and the date, time, and place of service. If 

someone refuses to accept the document, she 

simply explains what it is and drops it at the 

person’s feet.

Other jobs, however, are more complicated. Some defendants, for example, don’t 

want to be found. “You have to be persistent 

and tenacious because you need to track 

people down,” says Rebecca.

If a defendant is particularly evasive, 

Rebecca might do a stakeout. First, to preempt phone calls from concerned neighbors, 

she lets the police department know what she 

is doing. Then, she waits and watches for the 

person to appear so she can give him or her 

the document.

This part of a process server’s work is 

often misunderstood. “People have the idea 

that we’re like bounty hunters, going after 

people with guns,” says Rebecca. “It just isn’t 

the case.” Process servers’ only purpose is to 

deliver legal documents. And typically, after 

three unsuccessful attempts to visit a plaintiff or defendant, process servers resort to an 

alternate means of service, such as service by 

mail.

Process serving can involve risk, as 

some people take out their anger about the 

legal case on the person bringing them the 

bad news. But Rebecca typically avoids jobs 

that might threaten her safety. If a situation 

looks dangerous, she won’t deliver the papers. 

Instead, she returns them to the client who 

hired her, along with the money she was paid 

to do the job.

Like most process servers, Rebecca usually tries to avoid confrontation and leaves 

the location as soon as she hands people the 

document. “If you’re respectful, people take 

the papers,” she says. “Sometimes they might 
Spring 2012 • Occupational Outlook Quarterly 47

scream obscenities at you, but that’s the worst 

thing that’s happened to me.”

In most states, there are no formal educational requirements to become a process 

server. Training courses are available through 

associations, colleges, and private firms. Some 

states require that workers be registered or 

licensed, which often includes a background 

check, and taking out a bond (which, for 

Rebecca, costs about $25 a year). Process 

servers also typically must be U.S. citizens, 

be at least 18 years old, and have no felony 

convictions.

Process servers must follow precise legal 

rules, so attention to detail is essential. For 

process servers who have their own business, 

sales skills are also important because they 

must sell their services to get jobs.

A process-serving business is easy to 

start. In addition to meeting state requirements, these workers usually need their own 

form of transportation. A computer, cell 

phone, and GPS device are also helpful. To 

protect them from liability, many process 

servers get errors and omissions insurance.

Rebecca learned about process serving 

when she was involved in a court case of her 

own. “I became friends with my attorney,” she 

says, “and when the case was over she asked 

me if I wanted to work for her.” After working 

for the attorney a short time, Rebecca went 

into business for herself.

People come to process serving from a 

variety of backgrounds. Some have worked—

and may continue to work—in law enforcement or as private investigators. Others do 

tasks related to different kinds of legal work. 

For example, Rebecca provides support services to lawyers, including filing papers with 

the court. But she earns most of her income 

from process serving.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does 

not collect employment or wage data specifically on process servers. Industry sources 

suggest that there are about 15,000 to 20,000 

process servers in the United States, working 

both full and part time.

Earnings vary a lot, according to industry 

sources. Top earners may make more than 

$70,000 a year. But because process servers 

are usually paid by the job, those who take 

fewer jobs earn less. The fee for a standard

service ranges from about $20 to $80, 

depending on geographic location and other 

factors. The rate is often higher for difficult or 

expedited service.

A process server’s hours may be determined by when people are most likely to be 

at home, which can mean evening or weekend 

work. But process servers can usually choose 

which and how many jobs to take. “The best 

part is the flexibility,” says Rebecca. “I can 

work when I want and not work when I want. 

And unless it’s a rush service, you have days 

to do it, so you can fit it in when you have 

time.”

In addition to its flexibility, process serving offers opportunities for networking near 

and far. Laws about service vary by state, but 

a process server in one state can take a job 

serving someone in another with the help of a 

process server colleague there.

Networking extends beyond the work, 

too. “People lean on each other a lot,” says 

Rebecca. “There’s a real social network 

among process servers. It can be a lot of fun.”