How much does a mail sorter make?
a year · about $28 an hour
A typical mail sorter in the United States makes $58,470 a year, about $28 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
At a U.S. mail center, sorters prepare incoming and outgoing letters and parcels, moving mail between trucks and processing areas. They sort each batch toward its next stop indoors, and may work weekends.
Did you know? One USPS machine reads barcodes and sorts 36,000 letters in an hour—that's about 600 every minute!
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $45,530 and $75,280How do you become one?
In the U.S., apply online for USPS mail-processing jobs; a diploma is usually not required. Most entry jobs require an online assessment; applicants must be 18 (or 16 with a diploma), pass background, drug, and medical checks, and learn on the job.
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 U.S., pay can vary with experience, location, and employer or job type. USPS may add pay for night, Sunday, or overtime hours, so shifts and hours matter too.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Iowa ($60,530), lowest in Indiana ($48,880).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $45,530 | $58,470 | $75,280 | about 105,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $60,530 | about 1,000 |
| New Jersey | $60,530 | about 4,000 |
| Minnesota | $59,740 | about 2,000 |
| California | $59,490 | about 10,000 |
| Michigan | $59,490 | about 3,000 |
Official definition: Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors. Excludes “Postal Service Clerks” (43-5051) and “Postal Service Mail Carriers” (43-5052).
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
- www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/postal-service-workers.htm
- about.usps.com/careers/how-to-apply/
- about.usps.com/careers/how-to-apply/exams.htm
- about.usps.com/careers/working-usps/benefits.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- facts.usps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019_POSTAL_FACTS_WEB_COMPANION.pdf
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY