What You Need to Know About Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators

Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator Example Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Use hand or mail handling machines to time stamp, open, read, sort, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, stamp, fold, stuff, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.

Life as a Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator: What Do They Do?

• Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes.
• Use equipment, such as forklifts and automated “trains,” to move containers of mail.
• Start machines that automatically feed plates, stencils, or tapes through mechanisms, and observe machine operations to detect any malfunctions.
• Place incoming or outgoing letters or packages into sacks or bins based on destination or type, and place identifying tags on sacks or bins.
• Seal or open envelopes, by hand or by using machines.
• Clear jams in sortation equipment.

What a Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator Should Know

When polled, Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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

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

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

Related Job Titles

• Addressing Machine Operator
• Packaging Specialist
• Tube Station Attendant
• Mail Reader
• Mail Machine Operator

Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator Job Outlook

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 95,500 jobs in the United States for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.

Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator jobs are decreasing by a rate of -7.4%. This means the total job opportunities are shrinking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a loss of -7,100 jobs for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators by 2026. The BLS estimates 9,400 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service are Utah, Maryland, and Nevada.

Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New York. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator Salary

The typical yearly salary for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service is somewhere between $20,510 and $46,760. The median salary is $30,430.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
District of Columbia	$47,050
Alaska	$41,210
Massachusetts	$37,140
Rhode Island	$37,100
Hawaii	$37,080
Washington	$36,260
New York	$36,150
Vermont	$35,160
Connecticut	$34,360
New Hampshire	$34,260
Maryland	$34,130
California	$34,030
New Jersey	$33,930
Colorado	$33,590
Oregon	$33,210
Michigan	$32,860
Minnesota	$32,460
New Mexico	$32,080
Delaware	$31,970
Indiana	$31,850
Wisconsin	$31,760
Ohio	$31,570
Missouri	$31,520
Nevada	$31,520
Pennsylvania	$31,500
Idaho	$31,440
Nebraska	$30,830
Maine	$30,780
Virginia	$30,620
Utah	$30,500
Texas	$30,370
Kentucky	$30,140
Iowa	$30,130
North Dakota	$30,110
South Carolina	$29,950
Alabama	$29,900
Arizona	$29,900
Illinois	$29,610
North Carolina	$29,530
Arkansas	$29,120
Georgia	$28,980
Kansas	$28,870
Florida	$28,830
Tennessee	$28,790
Oklahoma	$28,150
Louisiana	$27,910
West Virginia	$27,760
Montana	$27,280
South Dakota	$27,250
Mississippi	$25,600
Wyoming	$25,430

What Tools do Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word

Becoming a Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator

Individuals working as Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators Are Employed

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those interested in being a Mail Clerk or Mail Machine Operator may also be interested in:

• Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons