Careers / Postal Service Mail Carriers
Postal Service Mail Carriers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$60,550
United States, 2025
Employment
328,820
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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
- Experience required
- None
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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$42,390
25th percentile
$48,940
75th percentile
$81,000
90th percentile
$81,040
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Coordination2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6
- Monitoring2.6
- Service Orientation2.6
- Reading Comprehension2.6
- Operation and Control2.3
- Operations Monitoring2.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 4 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
4
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $38,630
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersSupplemental
National median $107,230
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersSupplemental
National median $41,300
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersSupplemental
National median $37,330
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersSupplemental
National median $37,080
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersSupplemental
National median $44,770
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersSupplemental
National median $44,390
Compare with Postal Service Mail CarriersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence, KS | $70,530 | 100 | 2025 |
| Enid, OK | $68,640 | 60 | 2025 |
| Bay City, MI | $68,640 | 120 | 2025 |
| Bozeman, MT | $68,060 | 60 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $67,140 | 130 | 2025 |
| Oxnard, CA | $66,440 | 670 | 2025 |
| Iowa City, IA | $64,890 | 150 | 2025 |
| Naples, FL | $64,460 | 400 | 2025 |
| Merced, CA | $64,250 | 200 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $64,250 | 10,940 | 2025 |
| Missoula, MT | $64,250 | 100 | 2025 |
| Bloomington, IN | $64,250 | 190 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $64,250 | 280 | 2025 |
| Des Moines, IA | $64,250 | 690 | 2025 |
| New Orleans, LA | $64,250 | 1,120 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $64,250 | 2,000 | 2025 |
| DC | $64,250 | 930 | 2025 |
| Tucson, AZ | $64,250 | 870 | 2025 |
| McAllen, TX | $64,250 | 540 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $64,250 | 4,730 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Postal Service Mail Carriers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.