Postal Service Clerks: Salary Overview
Postal service clerks perform a variety of tasks in a postal office, including receiving letters and parcels, filling out and selling money orders, and selling postage and revenue stamps.
They also place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags and examine the mail to see if it has the correct postage.
A postal service clerk’s job description typically also includes insuring mail, calculating and collecting postage, and answering questions but may also be responsible for ordering mail.
Postal clerks also weight parcels in order to determine shipping costs and maintain financial records.
In their work, they use barcode scanners, bin stackers, dispensers of packaging tape, scales, barcode sorters, security devices, and a variety of other tools.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for postal service clerks was $48,330 as of May 2019, which means that half of all workers in this profession earned less than this amount while half earned more.
This is lower than the average salary reported by all postal service workers, which in 2019 was $52,060.
The median hourly rate for this profession was calculated at $26.58 in 2019.
Hourly rates and total annual salaries also vary depending on the region, the level of government spending, the worker’s experience, and education level.
The lowest 10 percent of all postal service clerks reportedly made less than $35,770 while the highest 10 percent made more than $61,330 annually.
These numbers show that most postal service clerks earn more than the national average wage across all industries and professions- which in 2019 was $39,810.
Hourly rates typically range between $17.20 and $29.49.
Postal service clerks work for the field of postal service which is an independent agency of the executive branch of the federal government.
According to the report published by BLS, postal service workers held 503,100 jobs in the United States in 2019 but only 78,100 of them were postal service clerks.
Salaries vary depending on the worker’s level of experience and education.
Postal service professions that are typically better paid are postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, occupations with a median annual wage of $60,140.
If you want a career as a postal service clerk, there are several other things that you can do in order to improve your earning prospects.
For example, although not a requirement, completing some related college coursework can be a plus.
Having good computer skills and knowing how to use budgeting software, delivery information systems, and time and attendance collection systems are important assets in this profession.
Good customer service skills, attention to detail, self-control, cooperation, and integrity are key work skills for postal service clerks.
Experience in this profession is very important and while as an entry-level employee your earnings will be close to the minimum for this profession, your wage will increase after earning a few years of experience in the field.
Job Prospects
In an era in which fewer and fewer people write letters, employment for postal service clerks is expected to decline in the future by 14 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This decline is caused, in part, by the fact that they are increasingly replaced by “delivery point sequencing” systems that sort letter mail directly.
As more people use automated and electronic bill pay, postal offices will no longer need as many postal service clerks.
Job openings may result from the need to replace workers who retire or leave this occupation but if you want to apply for a job in this field you should be ready to face strong competition because the number of applicants usually exceeds the number of available positions.
* Based on information from the May 2021 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Postal Service Clerks. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.