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Postal Service Mail Carrier

What is a Postal Service Mail Carrier?

Career Description Sort mail for delivery. Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot.

Life As a Postal Service Mail Carrier: What Do They Do?

  • Register, certify, and insure parcels and letters.
  • Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork.
  • Return incorrectly addressed mail to senders.
  • Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes.
  • Record address changes and redirect mail for those addresses.
  • Enter change of address orders into computers that process forwarding address stickers.

What Every Postal Service Mail Carrier Should Know

When polled, Postal Service Mail Carriers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Types of Postal Service Mail Carrier

  • Postal Mail Carrier
  • Mail Sorter and Delivery
  • Postman
  • Clerk Carrier
  • Letter Carrier

Postal Service Mail Carrier Job Outlook

There were about 316,700 jobs for Postal Service Mail Carrier in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Postal Service Mail Carrier. There will be an estimated 16,100 positions for Postal Service Mail Carrier per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Postal Service Mail Carrier are Utah, Texas, and Connecticut. Watch out if you plan on working in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

How Much Does a Postal Service Mail Carrier Make?

Postal Service Mail Carriers make between $36,990 and $63,970 a year.

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Postal Service Mail Carriers who work in California, Hawaii, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Postal Service Mail Carriers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $51,320
Alaska $51,840
Arizona $52,130
Arkansas $51,050
California $53,680
Colorado $51,070
Connecticut $52,150
Delaware $51,890
District of Columbia $53,250
Florida $52,090
Georgia $51,180
Hawaii $54,190
Idaho $50,610
Illinois $52,090
Indiana $51,300
Iowa $51,350
Kansas $50,580
Kentucky $51,290
Louisiana $50,840
Maine $50,710
Maryland $51,540
Massachusetts $52,730
Michigan $51,340
Minnesota $51,610
Mississippi $51,260
Missouri $51,010
Montana $50,260
Nebraska $51,210
Nevada $51,840
New Hampshire $51,380
New Jersey $52,890
New Mexico $51,350
New York $52,150
North Carolina $51,300
North Dakota $50,340
Ohio $51,290
Oklahoma $50,820
Oregon $50,210
Pennsylvania $51,540
Rhode Island $51,210
South Carolina $51,230
South Dakota $51,040
Tennessee $51,560
Texas $51,620
Utah $51,140
Vermont $50,560
Virginia $50,760
Washington $51,530
West Virginia $50,660
Wisconsin $51,360
Wyoming $49,860

Tools & Technologies Used by Postal Service Mail Carriers

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Postal Service Mail Carriers:

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Time and Attendance Collection System TACS
  • Delivery operations information system DOIS
  • Electronic Time Clock ETC
  • Address Management System AMS
  • Delivery Routing System DRS

How do I Become a Postal Service Mail Carrier?

Are there Postal Service Mail Carriers education requirements?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Are you already one of the many Postal Service Mail Carrier in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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