Postal Service Mail Carriers

What postal service mail carriers do

Typical tasks

• Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt.
• Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork.
• Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes.
• Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence.
• Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks.
• Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail.
• Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office.
• Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations.
• Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes.
• Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered.
• Maintain accurate records of deliveries.
• Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes.

Postal Service Mail Carriers salary

The median annual wage for postal service mail carriers is $60,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $42,390 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $81,040. The mean annual wage is $62,540.

The mean hourly wage of $30.00 is 4.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

Pay by percentile

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Postal Service Mail Carriers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $60,550 → in 3 years $65,900 → in 5 years $69,600 → in 10 years $80,100 (10-year range $68,900–$93,000). The model assumes pay growth of +2.8% per year.

What drives the annual growth rate

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Outlook score for Postal Service Mail Carriers

Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.

Will AI replace Postal Service Mail Carriers? AI replacement risk

How AI is changing this job

A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.

AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →

Labor demand for Postal Service Mail Carriers

Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Postal Service Mail Carriers

What the work involves

Important abilities

Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)

Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)

How to become postal service mail carriers

A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.

Career path and how to earn more as postal service mail carriers

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.

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