Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,530 | $21.89 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $58,470 | $28.11 |
| Mean (average) | $59,430 | $28.57 |
| 90th percentile | $75,280 | $36.19 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,430 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 1,150 | 0.8 |
| Alaska | $55,350 | $42,600 | $75,030 | 230 | 1.04 |
| Arizona | $55,350 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 2,180 | 0.99 |
| Arkansas | $58,470 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 570 | 0.65 |
| California | $59,490 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 10,090 | 0.82 |
| Colorado | $58,470 | $45,530 | $76,360 | 1,910 | 0.98 |
| Connecticut | $58,470 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 1,020 | 0.89 |
| Delaware | $58,470 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 410 | 1.24 |
| District of Columbia | $66,750 | $43,660 | $76,460 | 400 | 0.83 |
| Florida | $57,430 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 7,240 | 1.08 |
| Georgia | $53,290 | $40,600 | $75,280 | 3,050 | 0.92 |
| Guam | $60,530 | $54,330 | $75,030 | 30 | 0.69 |
| Hawaii | $59,490 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 370 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | $57,430 | $42,600 | $75,030 | 250 | 0.43 |
| Illinois | $58,300 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 5,370 | 1.3 |
| Indiana | $48,880 | $39,560 | $75,030 | 2,600 | 1.2 |
| Iowa | $60,530 | $42,600 | $76,360 | 1,040 | 0.99 |
| Kansas | $54,540 | $39,560 | $75,280 | 870 | 0.89 |
| Kentucky | $57,430 | $42,600 | $75,030 | 950 | 0.7 |
| Louisiana | $58,470 | $42,600 | $75,250 | 1,200 | 0.91 |
| Maine | $59,490 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 440 | 1.02 |
| Maryland | $58,470 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 2,430 | 1.3 |
| Massachusetts | $58,470 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 2,910 | 1.18 |
| Michigan | $59,490 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 3,370 | 1.13 |
| Minnesota | $59,740 | $48,880 | $75,280 | 1,840 | 0.92 |
| Mississippi | $57,800 | $45,530 | $75,030 | 350 | 0.44 |
| Missouri | $57,430 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 2,730 | 1.38 |
| Montana | $57,430 | $45,530 | $75,030 | 270 | 0.78 |
| Nebraska | $59,490 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 640 | 0.92 |
| Nevada | $58,470 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 920 | 0.88 |
| New Hampshire | $58,300 | $47,440 | $76,360 | 690 | 1.48 |
| New Jersey | $60,530 | $47,440 | $76,360 | 3,660 | 1.26 |
| New Mexico | $58,470 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 350 | 0.6 |
| New York | $58,470 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 8,290 | 1.27 |
| North Carolina | $55,350 | $40,600 | $75,280 | 4,040 | 1.21 |
| North Dakota | $59,840 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 240 | 0.82 |
| Ohio | $58,470 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 3,700 | 0.99 |
| Oklahoma | $58,470 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 790 | 0.68 |
| Oregon | $57,890 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 1,090 | 0.82 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,430 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 5,630 | 1.37 |
| Puerto Rico | $56,390 | $45,530 | $75,030 | 780 | 1.22 |
| Rhode Island | $59,490 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 600 | 1.77 |
| South Carolina | $58,390 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 1,280 | 0.82 |
| South Dakota | $61,570 | $48,880 | $75,280 | 210 | 0.67 |
| Tennessee | $56,390 | $42,600 | $75,280 | 2,850 | 1.28 |
| Texas | $56,390 | $40,600 | $75,280 | 7,900 | 0.83 |
| Utah | $57,430 | $45,530 | $75,030 | 860 | 0.73 |
| Vermont | $59,490 | $48,880 | $75,280 | 110 | 0.55 |
| Virginia | $58,300 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 2,420 | 0.87 |
| Washington | $59,490 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 1,770 | 0.74 |
| West Virginia | $58,470 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 410 | 0.86 |
| Wisconsin | $58,470 | $47,440 | $75,280 | 1,420 | 0.72 |
| Wyoming | $60,530 | $45,530 | $75,280 | 120 | 0.61 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 7,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Teradata Database (hot technology)
- Address Management System AMS
- Automated Package Processing System APPS
- Barcode reader software
- Delivery Routing System DRS
- Delivery operations information system DOIS
- Directory software
- Electronic Time Clock ETC
- Multi-line optical character reader OCR software
- NCR Advanced Store
Transferable skills for career changers: Coordination, Operations Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Operation and Control.
Common job titles: Automation Clerk, Computer Forwarding System Markup Clerk (CFS Markup Clerk), Distribution Clerk, Flat Sorting Machine Clerk (FSM Clerk), Mail Handler, Mail Handler Equipment Operator, Mail Processing Clerk, Mail Processor, Parcel Post Distribution Machine Operator (PDPMO), Small Package and Bundle Sorter Clerk (SPBS Clerk).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators make?
The national median annual wage for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators was $58,470 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $45,530 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $75,280. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators a growing career?
BLS projects employment of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators to change -5.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 7,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($66,750), South Dakota ($61,570), Guam ($60,530). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.