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Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator

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Life As a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator

Postal Service Mail Processing Machine Operator Example Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks; and other duties related to mail handling within the postal service.

A Day in the Life of a Postal Service Mail Processing Machine Operator

  • Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
  • Search directories to find correct addresses for redirected mail.
  • Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.
  • Clear jams in sorting equipment.
  • Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines.
  • Rewrap soiled or broken parcels.

Qualities of a Postal Service Mail Processing Machine Operator

When polled, Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

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.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Types of Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator

  • Flat Sorting Machine Clerk (FSM Clerk)
  • General Expeditor
  • Operations Label Clerk
  • Mail Forwarding System Markup Clerk
  • Mail Weigher

Job Demand for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

There were about 106,700 jobs for Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator. The BLS estimates 5,200 yearly job openings in this field.

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

Postal Service Mail Processing Machine Operator Salary

The typical yearly salary for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators is somewhere between $35,230 and $60,110.

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Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators who work in Idaho, Delaware, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.

How much do Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $51,250
Alaska $48,540
Arizona $49,170
Arkansas $51,220
California $51,520
Colorado $50,680
Connecticut $52,580
Delaware $53,890
District of Columbia $52,930
Florida $51,870
Georgia $52,330
Hawaii $51,760
Idaho $52,820
Illinois $50,880
Indiana $48,870
Iowa $51,130
Kansas $49,850
Kentucky $49,600
Louisiana $51,350
Maine $50,930
Maryland $51,520
Massachusetts $51,750
Michigan $51,510
Minnesota $50,070
Mississippi $49,260
Missouri $51,140
Montana $48,100
Nebraska $49,670
Nevada $50,820
New Hampshire $50,120
New Jersey $52,420
New Mexico $50,310
New York $51,390
North Carolina $50,900
North Dakota $45,980
Ohio $50,030
Oklahoma $50,110
Oregon $49,580
Pennsylvania $51,710
Rhode Island $51,460
South Carolina $49,560
South Dakota $48,020
Tennessee $51,100
Texas $52,430
Utah $49,140
Vermont $53,070
Virginia $51,260
Washington $52,420
West Virginia $46,550
Wisconsin $52,390
Wyoming $50,400

What Tools & Technology do Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

  • Time and Attendance Collection System TACS
  • Electronic Time Clock ETC
  • Address Management System AMS
  • NCR Advanced Store
  • Delivery Routing System DRS

How to Become a Postal Service Mail Processing Machine Operator

What education is needed to be a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Postal Service Mail Processing Machine Operator?

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Who Employs Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators?

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those who work as a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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