Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-9051.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 75% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $42,940 | 6,060 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $36,940 | 2,600 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $37,860 | 2,480 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $42,400 | 2,180 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $37,940 | 1,940 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $40,580 | 1,680 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,370 | 1,520 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,440 | 1,180 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $44,890 | 1,090 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $37,010 | 1,080 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45,690 | 1,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $46,040 | 960 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines.
- Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts.
- Inspect mail machine output for defects and determine how to eliminate causes of any defects.
- Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing.
- Remove containers of sorted mail or parcels and transfer them to designated areas according to established procedures.
- Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary.
- Remove from machines printed materials, such as labeled articles, postmarked envelopes or tape, and folded sheets.
- Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities.
- Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters.
- Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification.
- Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes.
- Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2016-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2016-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 4
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| mail clerk | 4412.1 | exact |
| office clerk | 4110.1 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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