Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Postal Service Clerks
Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-5051.00
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 55% 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 | $63,670 | 4,760 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $64,630 | 2,310 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $63,690 | 1,530 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $60,740 | 1,480 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $60,590 | 1,360 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,670 | 1,270 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $64,730 | 1,210 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $63,690 | 1,080 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $66,810 | 1,030 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $61,630 | 950 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $64,360 | 900 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $63,690 | 860 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.
- Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.
- Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions.
- Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing.
- Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.
- Complete forms regarding changes of address, or theft or loss of mail, or for special services such as registered or priority mail.
- Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices.
- Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags.
- Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation.
- Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail.
- Respond to complaints regarding mail theft, delivery problems, and lost or damaged mail, filling out forms and making appropriate referrals for investigation.
- Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes.
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)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Stock lobby with retail merchandise.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
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 1
No longer listed 1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| post office counter clerk | 4211.2 | exact |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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