Education:
78%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
15%
Less than a High School Diploma
Postal Service Mail Carriers
This is a sub-career of
Postal Service Worker
More sub-careers
Select a specialized sub-career for more details.
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Job Outlook:
Decline
Education:
No formal educational credential
Salary
High:
$71,340.00
Average:
$56,240.00
Hourly
Average:
$27.04
What they do:
Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.
On the job, you would:
- Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence.
- 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.
Important Qualities
Customer-service skills. Postal service workers, particularly clerks, regularly interact with customers. As a result, they must be courteous and tactful and provide good client service.
Detail oriented. Postal service workers must pay attention to detail to ensure accuracy in sorting and delivering mail.
Physical stamina. Postal service workers may need to stand or walk for long periods.
Physical strength. Postal service workers must be able to lift and carry heavy mail bags and parcels.
Time-management skills. Postal service workers often need to prioritize and handle several tasks at once.
Visual ability. To have a driver’s license, postal service workers must be able to pass a state vision test.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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90% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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86% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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85% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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84% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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76% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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74% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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69% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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67% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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67% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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59% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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59% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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58% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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52% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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89% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. | |
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78% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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53% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). | |
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53% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Obtain written authorization to perform activities.
Collect deposits, payments or fees.
Sort mail.
Deliver items.
Route mail to correct destinations.
Collect deposits, payments or fees.
Perform administrative or clerical tasks.
Maintain financial or account records.
Route mail to correct destinations.
Route mail to correct destinations.
Package objects for shipping.
Provide notifications to customers or patrons.
Route mail to correct destinations.
Record shipping information.
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
Provide notifications to customers or patrons.
Report maintenance or equipment problems to appropriate personnel.
Arrange insurance coverage.
Prepare outgoing mail.
Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
Enter information into databases or software programs.
Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
Sell products or services.
Enter information into databases or software programs.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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98% | Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? | |
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94% | In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? | |
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91% | Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions? | |
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88% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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82% | Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job? | |
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81% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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80% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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78% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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77% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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76% | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? | |
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76% | Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? | |
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73% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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70% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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68% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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62% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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60% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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59% | Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body - How much does this job require bending or twisting your body? | |
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57% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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55% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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54% | Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? | |
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53% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? | |
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52% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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62% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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80% | Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. | |
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77% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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74% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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62% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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62% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. | |
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59% | Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
What Postal Service Workers Do
Carriers deliver mail to homes and businesses.
Postal service workers sell postage and related products and collect, sort, and deliver mail.
Duties
Postal service workers typically do the following:
- Collect letters and parcels
- Sort incoming letters and parcels
- Sell stamps and other postal products
- Get customer signatures for registered, certified, and insured mail
- Operate various types of postal equipment
- Distribute letters and parcels
Postal service workers receive and process mail for delivery to homes, businesses, and post office boxes. Workers are classified based on the type of work they do.
The following are examples of types of postal service workers:
Postal service clerks, also called sales and services distribution associates, sell stamps, money orders, mailing envelopes and boxes, and other postal products in post offices. These workers register, certify, and insure mail, calculate and collect postage, and answer questions about postal matters. They also may help sort mail.
Postal service mail carriers deliver mail to homes and businesses in cities, towns, and rural areas. Most travel established routes, delivering and collecting mail. Mail carriers cover their routes by foot or vehicle or a combination of both. Some mail carriers collect money for postage due. Others, particularly in rural areas, sell postal products, such as stamps and money orders. Mail carriers also answer customers’ questions about postal regulations and services and, upon request, provide change-of-address cards and other postal forms.
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, also called mail handlers and processing clerks, prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution at post offices and mail processing centers. They load and unload postal trucks and move mail around processing centers. They also operate and adjust mail processing and sorting machinery.
Work Environment
Postal service workers held about 504,300 jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up postal service workers was distributed as follows:
| Postal service mail carriers | 314,500 |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators | 115,000 |
| Postal service clerks | 74,800 |
The largest employers of postal service workers were as follows:
| Postal service | 100% |
Postal service clerks and mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators work indoors, typically in a post office. Mail carriers mostly work outdoors, delivering mail in all kinds of weather. Although mail carriers face many natural hazards, such as extreme temperatures and wet or icy roads and sidewalks, the work is not especially dangerous. However, they may experience repetitive stress injuries from lifting and bending.
Work Schedules
Most postal service workers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Because mail usually is delivered 6 days a week, many postal service workers must work on Saturdays. Some also work on Sundays.
Getting Started
How to Become a Postal Service Worker
Mail carriers must receive a passing grade on a road test.
To enter these occupations, postal service workers typically need no formal educational credential. However, job candidates must pass a written exam as part of the application process. The exam covers four areas: address cross comparison, forms completion, memory and coding, and personal characteristics and experience. For more information, contact the post office or mail processing center where you want to work.
Postal service workers must meet certain employment qualifications. For example, they must be at least 18 years old, or 16 years old with a high school diploma; be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and pass a criminal background check, a medical assessment, and a drug screening. They also may be asked to show that they can lift and handle heavy mail sacks.
Education
Although no formal educational credential is typically required to enter these occupations, most postal service workers have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Training
Newly hired postal service workers receive on-the-job training that usually lasts a few weeks. Beginning carriers may work alongside an experienced carrier.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Postal service workers who operate a motor vehicle need a driver's license. In addition, mail carriers must have a safe driving record and pass a road test before driving on the job.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of postal service workers is projected to decline 8 percent from 2022 to 2032.
Despite declining employment, about 34,400 openings for postal service workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
The postal service likely will need fewer workers because new mail sorting technology can read text and automatically sort, forward, and process mail. The greater use of online services to pay bills and the increased use of online communications should also reduce the need for sorting and processing workers.
Meanwhile, the amount of time carriers save on sorting letter mail and flat mail will allow them to increase the size of their routes, which should reduce the need to hire more carriers. In addition, the postal service is adopting more centralized mail delivery, such as the use of cluster mailboxes, to cut down on the number of door-to-door deliveries.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about postal service workers, including job requirements, entrance examinations, and employment opportunities, visit
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of postal service workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Customer Service Representatives |
Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and answer questions. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $37,780 |
|
Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers |
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers pick up, transport, and drop off packages and small shipments within a local region or urban area. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $38,220 |
|
Hand Laborers and Material Movers |
Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. |
See How to Become One | $34,960 |
|
Information Clerks |
Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers. |
See How to Become One | $38,710 |
|
Material Recording Clerks |
Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $40,490 |
|
Metal and Plastic Machine Workers |
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces. |
See How to Become One | $41,060 |
|
Receptionists |
Receptionists do tasks such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing information about their organization to the public. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $33,960 |
|
Retail Sales Workers |
Retail sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers’ payments. |
No formal educational credential | $30,750 |
|
Taxi Drivers, Shuttle Drivers, and Chauffeurs |
Taxi drivers (including ride-hailing drivers), shuttle drivers, and chauffeurs transport people to and from the places they need to go. |
No formal educational credential | $32,440 |
|
Tellers |
Tellers are responsible for accurately processing routine transactions at a bank. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $36,380 |