Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
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.
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators 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. The role reports a median annual salary of $56,530 in the US and is projected to decline by 8% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.63 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Monitoring, Coordination, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £31,677 a year for Postal workers, mail sorters and messengers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £28,292 to £36,381 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9211). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Clerical support workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 4. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
What you'd actually do
- Clear jams in sorting equipment.
- Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
- Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.
- Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment.
- Check items to ensure that addresses are legible and correct, that sufficient postage has been paid or the appropriate documentation is attached, and that items are in a suitable condition for processing.
- Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators do?
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.
How much does Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators earn?
The median annual salary for Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators in the US is $56,530.
What is the job outlook for Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators?
The role is projected to decline by 8% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 106,400 workers.
How do I become postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Monitoring, Coordination, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators?
Our AI-durability model gives Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators a score of 0.63 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.