Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators: Career Profile
Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). 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 perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors.
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The Daily Work of Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators include:
- Clear jams in sorting equipment.
- Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
- Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.
What Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Need to Know
Successful postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Assorter
- Automation Clerk
- Computer Forwarding System Markup Clerk (CFS Markup Clerk)
- Dead Mail Checker
- Distribution Clerk
- Distribution Handler
- Distributor
- Equipment Operator
Employment and Demand
There are about 1,377,857 postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +14.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $57,050 |
| Hourly median | $27.43 |
| 10th percentile | $40,225 |
| 25th percentile | $48,637 |
| 75th percentile | $65,462 |
| 90th percentile | $73,875 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $67,830 |
| New Jersey | $59,550 |
| Wyoming | $59,550 |
| Iowa | $59,550 |
| Kansas | $59,550 |
| South Dakota | $59,550 |
| North Dakota | $58,780 |
| Vermont | $58,650 |
| Nebraska | $58,510 |
| California | $57,490 |
| Washington | $57,490 |
| Michigan | $57,490 |
| Wisconsin | $57,490 |
| Delaware | $57,490 |
| New York | $57,490 |
| Connecticut | $57,490 |
| Maine | $57,490 |
| Rhode Island | $57,490 |
| Guam | $57,490 |
| Montana | $57,490 |
| Arkansas | $57,490 |
| West Virginia | $57,490 |
| Oklahoma | $57,490 |
| Texas | $57,490 |
| Minnesota | $57,490 |
| Kentucky | $57,140 |
| Massachusetts | $56,530 |
| Colorado | $56,530 |
| Idaho | $56,530 |
| Hawaii | $56,450 |
| Illinois | $56,450 |
| Maryland | $56,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,450 |
| New Hampshire | $56,450 |
| Virginia | $56,450 |
| Arizona | $56,450 |
| Missouri | $56,450 |
| Florida | $56,160 |
| South Carolina | $56,160 |
| Ohio | $55,850 |
| Nevada | $55,410 |
| Oregon | $55,410 |
| Indiana | $55,410 |
| Utah | $55,410 |
| Alabama | $55,410 |
| Louisiana | $55,410 |
| Mississippi | $55,410 |
| New Mexico | $55,410 |
| North Carolina | $54,700 |
| Puerto Rico | $54,370 |
| Georgia | $54,370 |
| Tennessee | $54,370 |
| Alaska | $53,350 |
Where Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Earn the Most
Earnings for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $57,745 | 6.9% | 1.06 |
| Middle Atlantic | $57,665 | 20.3% | 1.34 |
| Southwest | $57,218 | 9.4% | 0.75 |
| Far Western US | $57,115 | 14.3% | 0.85 |
| New England | $56,907 | 5.7% | 1.24 |
| Great Lakes | $56,506 | 15.6% | 1.14 |
| Rocky Mountains | $56,428 | 3.2% | 0.85 |
| Southeast | $55,559 | 23.8% | 1.00 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie, PA | PA | $72,970 | 40 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $72,970 | 120 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | MN | $67,200 | 50 |
| Wichita, KS | KS | $67,180 | 240 |
| Salem, OR | OR | $66,810 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $66,580 | 1,720 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $63,690 | 180 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | TX | $61,630 | 120 |
Which Industries Hire Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
The largest employers of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 111,920 | $56,530 |
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Teradata Database (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Time Pressure
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
Education and Training
Entry-level postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents (Supplemental)
- File Clerks (Primary-Long)
- Cargo and Freight Agents (Supplemental)
- Couriers and Messengers (Supplemental)
- Postal Service Clerks (Primary-Short)
- Postal Service Mail Carriers (Supplemental)
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks (Supplemental)
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (Primary-Short)
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-5053.00 (Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators).
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