Postal Service Mail Carriers pay in the United States

Goes furthest in Arkansas
·Office and Administrative Support·
329k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$29.11/hr median
328,820 employed
-0% to 2035
33% AI exposure
No formal educational credential
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

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.

Where the money actually goes furthest

District of Columbia pays the highest headline figure at $64,250. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $58,462 — less than Arkansas, where $59,700 is worth $68,668.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Postal Service Mail Carriers by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
Arkansas$28.70/hr$59,700$68,668$57,5483,030
South Dakota$29.21/hr$60,760$68,585$60,760850
Iowa$28.79/hr$59,880$68,231$58,1593,730
Oklahoma$28.79/hr$59,880$68,169$57,5254,130
Louisiana$28.32/hr$58,910$66,783$57,5175,090
Nebraska$28.79/hr$59,880$66,459$57,6752,150
North Dakota$28.37/hr$59,010$66,333$59,010800
Mississippi$27.63/hr$57,470$66,095$55,0423,290
Missouri$28.79/hr$59,880$65,932$57,9227,260
Ohio$29.39/hr$61,130$65,894$60,16512,680
Kentucky$28.32/hr$58,910$65,339$56,6804,640
Kansas$28.15/hr$58,540$64,993$55,5623,310
Alabama$27.74/hr$57,700$64,962$55,0055,840
New Mexico$28.79/hr$59,880$64,938$58,0581,570
Wyoming$28.79/hr$59,880$64,602$59,880430
West Virginia$27.74/hr$57,700$64,469$55,7481,850
Indiana$28.79/hr$59,880$64,159$58,1136,910
Tennessee$28.16/hr$58,570$63,753$58,5707,310
Wisconsin$28.79/hr$59,880$63,634$57,8046,470
North Carolina$28.84/hr$59,990$63,595$57,98211,030
Texas$29.11/hr$60,550$62,384$60,55026,700
Montana$28.37/hr$59,010$62,345$56,643830
Michigan$28.79/hr$59,880$62,232$57,57311,610
Rhode Island$30.58/hr$63,610$62,192$61,6201,220
Illinois$29.84/hr$62,070$62,094$59,13414,730
Nevada$29.84/hr$62,070$62,082$62,0702,530
Arizona$30.00/hr$62,390$61,968$61,1955,300
South Carolina$27.74/hr$57,700$61,546$55,7055,650
Virginia$29.84/hr$62,070$61,394$59,2477,900
Pennsylvania$28.79/hr$59,880$61,371$58,04113,900
Minnesota$28.84/hr$59,990$60,829$57,3745,890
Maine$28.37/hr$59,010$60,803$56,2661,510
Utah$28.79/hr$59,880$60,570$57,1552,460
Idaho$27.80/hr$57,820$60,550$55,5291,660
Vermont$28.37/hr$59,010$60,238$57,052690
Delaware$28.79/hr$59,880$59,993$57,1231,130
Georgia$27.74/hr$57,700$59,923$55,32810,790
Maryland$29.84/hr$62,070$59,136$59,3026,420
Florida$29.39/hr$61,130$59,114$61,13020,810
Connecticut$29.39/hr$61,130$59,000$58,5174,510
Massachusetts$29.84/hr$62,070$58,689$58,9667,630
Alaska$28.79/hr$59,880$58,499$59,880450
District of Columbia$30.89/hr$64,250$58,462$61,422930
Colorado$28.79/hr$59,880$58,107$57,9555,100
New Hampshire$28.84/hr$59,990$57,588$59,9901,560
New York$29.84/hr$62,070$57,514$59,26120,580
Oregon$28.56/hr$59,400$57,469$54,7433,760
New Jersey$29.39/hr$61,130$56,180$59,24510,160
California$29.85/hr$62,090$56,078$60,10532,320
Washington$28.84/hr$59,990$56,060$59,9906,550
Hawaii$28.79/hr$59,880$54,461$56,7721,200
Puerto Rico$27.74/hr$57,700Not publishedNot published1,240
Guam$26.96/hr$56,080Not publishedNot published40
Virgin Islands$26.68/hr$55,490Not publishedNot published40

National median for comparison: $60,550. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$60,550/year

$29.11/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$42,390$81,040

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

33%Low exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

The two methods broadly agree.

Method 1 — ability mix41%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content24%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 19,600 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • 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.
  • Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail.
  • Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where postal service mail carriers move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by RDNE Stock project.