How much does a postal service mail carrier make?

The median pay is $29.11 per hour — roughly $60,500 a year, with the real range running from about $20.38/hr (10th percentile) to $38.96/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a postal service mail carrier?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a postal service mail carrier actually do all day?

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.

Office & Administrative

Postal Service Mail Carriers

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.

What it pays
Postal Service Mail Carriers earn a median of $29.11/hr — about $60,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $20.38/hr; the top 10% earn $38.96/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of postal service mail carriers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused and hands-on.

Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.

Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a postal service mail carrier make?: The median pay is $29.11 per hour — roughly $60,500 a year, with the real range running from about $20.38/hr (10th percentile) to $38.96/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a postal service mail carrier?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a postal service mail carrier actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.