Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Postal Service Clerks

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $62,130 Median per year · $29.87/hr Most earn $42,600–$75,030

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes.
  • Transport mail from one work station to another.
  • Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.
  • Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation.
  • Respond to complaints regarding mail theft, delivery problems, and lost or damaged mail, filling out forms and making appropriate referrals for investigation.
  • Cash money orders.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 5,300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Postal service100.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Postal Service Clerk is an entry-level job that requires a high school diploma, but most people first spend about 6 months to 1 year in a related job, such as a mail clerk, to build experience. Most people reach it within roughly 1 to 2 years after high school.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school, building reading, math, and customer-service skills that the postal job relies on.

  2. Mail Clerk

    6 months to 1 year

    Sort, route, and handle mail at a business or mail center, which gives you the hands-on experience postal employers look for.

  3. Postal Service Clerk

    Starting role; time in the job varies

    Work at a USPS post office selling stamps and money orders, handling packages, checking postage, and helping customers, and learn USPS procedures on the job.

Where it can lead

  1. Postmaster

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    Move from clerk duties into managing a post office, which means supervising staff, handling budgets, and overseeing daily operations.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and English classesStrong math helps with counting money and checking postage, and clear writing helps when filling out forms and explaining services to customers.
  • Get a part-time job in retail or food serviceHandling cash and serving the public builds the customer-service and accuracy skills postal clerks use every day.
  • Volunteer at a school or community mail or office taskHelping sort mail, run copies, or organize papers for a club, school office, or local nonprofit shows you can handle routine tasks carefully.
  • Join a school club that involves teamwork or leadershipClubs like student government or a business club build communication and responsibility, which employers value.

In college

  • Take a few business or math coursesBasic accounting or math courses help with money handling and the record-keeping that goes with postal sales.
  • Work a campus job with cash or customer contactJobs at a campus bookstore, dining hall, or front desk build the accuracy and service skills postal clerks need.
  • Get a summer or part-time job in mail, shipping, or stock workWorking in a mail room, warehouse, or shipping department gives you the 6 months to 1 year of related experience that postal employers often look for.
  • Learn basic computer skillsComfort with point-of-sale systems and simple computer tasks helps you handle the transactions and tracking clerks do daily.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time or seasonal mail, retail, or stock jobs while in school to start building the 6 months to 1 year of experience employers often want.
  • Practice accurate cash handling and customer service, such as working a cash register, since clerks take payments and sell money orders and stamps.
  • Check USPS job listings early, since postal exams and hiring timelines can take a while, and keep your application and contact details up to date.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

Related careers