Techniques for sending page messages with quality of service (QoS) in a wireless communication system are described. In an aspect, a network entity receives incoming packets for access terminals operating in an idle state, generates page messages in response to the incoming packets, and includes QoS information in the page messages. The QoS information for each page message may indicate whether the page message is delay sensitive. A base transceiver station (BTS) receives page messages with QoS information and sends the page messages to access terminals based on the QoS information. In one design, the BTS determines whether each page message is delay sensitive based on the QoS information, sends page messages that are delay sensitive, and either sends or delays sending page messages that are delay insensitive in order to reduce the number of packets to send for the page messages.