Who Earns What

How much does a mail clerk make?

US Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
$39,280

a year · about $19 an hour

A typical mail clerk in the United States makes $39,280 a year, about $19 an hour, below a typical US worker ($50,980) (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What do they do?

They sort and route incoming mail, then address, stamp, fold, stuff, seal, and add postage to outgoing letters and packages. They may also keep records and completed forms.

Did you know? Some U.S. mail clerks wrap packages or bundles by hand—or use a tying machine to tie them.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$39,280
Typical worker$50,980
Elementary teacher$63,970
Doctor$244,180
Cashier$32,880

If 100 people had this job

Most earn between $30,780 and $54,820
47 of 100
not many

How do you become one?

In the U.S., a high school diploma or GED is common, though some jobs may not require one. Workers usually learn on the job, with training ranging from a few days to about a year.

School needed: High school plus some training

Good for people who like keeping things organized and building and doing

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can differ with experience, useful skills or credentials, the employer or industry, location, and hours worked. More complex duties—such as operating mail-processing machines—may also make jobs pay differently.

Where does it pay most?

Highest in Massachusetts ($48,860), lowest in Louisiana ($34,860).

See every state
Whole US$39,280
Massachusetts$48,860
Washington$46,380
Minnesota$44,840
California$44,410
Connecticut$43,970
Iowa$35,610
Tennessee$35,610
Louisiana$34,860

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

Jobs like this

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Who earns more?
Data table and sources
Mail clerk pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$30,780$39,280$54,820about 55,000
States where mail clerks earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
Massachusetts$48,860about 1,000
Washington$46,380about 1,000
Minnesota$44,840about 1,000
California$44,410about 5,000
Connecticut$43,970about 680

Official definition: Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Time-stamp, open, read, sort, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, stamp, fold, stuff, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY