Postal Service Mail Carriers Career, Salary and Skills
Postal Service Mail Carriers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $60,550 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 328,820. Wage data is published for 416 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
43-5052.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$60,550
Hourly median
$29.11
Employment
328,820
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Coordination | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Service Orientation | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.62 | 2.12 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt.
Technology
- Address Management System AMS
- Automated Data Collection System ADCS
- Delivery operations information system DOIS
- Delivery Routing System DRS
- Electronic Time Clock ETC
- End of Run Report EOR
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Time and Attendance Collection System TACS
Postal Service Mail Carriers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in CAMedian $62,090 · Employment 32,320
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in TXMedian $60,550 · Employment 26,700
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in FLMedian $61,130 · Employment 20,810
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in NYMedian $62,070 · Employment 20,580
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in New York, NYMedian $62,070 · Employment 20,280
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in ILMedian $62,070 · Employment 14,730
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in PAMedian $59,880 · Employment 13,900
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in OHMedian $61,130 · Employment 12,680
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in MIMedian $59,880 · Employment 11,610
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in NCMedian $59,990 · Employment 11,030
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $64,250 · Employment 10,940
- Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary in GAMedian $57,700 · Employment 10,790
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.