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Career

Postal Service Mail Carriers

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Lower 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 $60,550 Median per year · $29.11/hr Most earn $42,390–$81,040

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork.
  • Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes.
  • Provide customers with change of address cards and other forms.
  • Maintain accurate records of deliveries.
  • Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes.
  • Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 19,600 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: None

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: NoneEntry-level

Postal Service Mail Carrier is usually an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and no prior work experience required, so you can apply right after graduating.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school, building reading, math, and communication skills that help you read addresses, follow routes, and talk with customers.

  2. Postal Service Mail Carrier

    Entry level, no prior experience usually required

    Start delivering mail on an assigned route by vehicle or on foot, learning the route and the job over time.

Where it can lead

  1. Dispatcher

    1-2 years of experience first

    Move into coordinating carriers and routes from the office, which involves planning schedules and responding to problems on the road.

  2. Postmaster

    1-2 years of experience first

    Lead a post office or mail facility, managing staff, budgets, and service quality; this usually takes years of experience in mail operations and supervision.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and English classesStrong reading and math skills help with sorting, reading addresses, and keeping accurate records on the job.
  • Get a part-time or summer jobWork that requires being on your feet and on time shows employers you can handle a daily routine.
  • Join a sports team or fitness activityCarrier work involves a lot of walking and lifting, so staying active prepares you for the physical side of the job.
  • Volunteer in your neighborhoodHelping with local events or deliveries builds experience with people and getting things to the right places.
  • Learn to drive safelyIf you're old enough, take a driver's education course or practice with a licensed adult to prepare for vehicle-based routes.

In college

  • Take courses in geography or local planningKnowing maps and how neighborhoods are laid out helps you learn routes quickly and work efficiently.
  • Work a customer-facing campus or part-time jobJobs that involve serving people build the communication and reliability carriers use every day.
  • Earn or keep a clean driving recordMany carrier positions require driving, so a safe record makes you a stronger candidate.
  • Join a student organization or clubTeamwork and leadership experience can help if you later want to move into supervisory roles.
  • Look into a logistics or business classBasic knowledge of how mail and packages move helps if you aim for dispatcher or postmaster roles later.

Tips for getting started

  • Get a valid driver's license and keep a clean driving record, since many carrier jobs involve driving a vehicle on a route.
  • Look for part-time work that involves walking, lifting, or customer service, such as a grocery or delivery job, to show you can handle physical work and reliability.

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.

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