Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service Salary: $47,655 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 62,730 mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service nationally earn a mean of $47,655. Employment in the series shown fell about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.1% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service: what the data shows
Common questions about mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service?
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-9051.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 62,730 workers.
What does a mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,150 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $47,655 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,367 |
| 25th percentile | $38,522 |
| Median (50th) | $43,783 |
| 75th percentile | $52,875 |
| 90th percentile | $65,103 |
What education do you need?
For Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Time Management, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Operation and Control, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -23.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -41.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 62,730.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal services work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 62,730 | 18.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 55,360 | 16.3% |
| Administrative and Support Services | 19,790 | 5.8% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 19,790 | 5.8% |
| Business Support Services | 13,770 | 4.0% |
| Educational Services | 10,040 | 3.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service workforce.
Employment Over Time
62,730 Workforce in 2023
The Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,655 Average Wage
In 2023, Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service earned an average of $47,655.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Salary distribution for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Employment Growth Projections
-5.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
14,325 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -23.2%
10,997 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -41.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 5,660 employees, $43,560 avg wage
- CA: 4,880 employees, $46,650 avg wage
- TX: 4,210 employees, $37,140 avg wage
- PA: 3,790 employees, $37,390 avg wage
- NJ: 3,490 employees, $44,830 avg wage
- IL: 3,480 employees, $38,630 avg wage
- FL: 3,350 employees, $39,660 avg wage
- GA: 3,340 employees, $37,640 avg wage
- OH: 2,150 employees, $39,330 avg wage
- MI: 1,850 employees, $36,390 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 6,060 employees, $45,320 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,600 employees, $39,280 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,480 employees, $39,580 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,180 employees, $44,510 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,940 employees, $38,760 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,680 employees, $43,330 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,520 employees, $38,510 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,180 employees, $39,920 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 1,090 employees, $44,000 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,080 employees, $36,820 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Diversity
Demographic information on Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in 2023 was 62,730 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service workers.
Education level distribution for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Skills
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service need many skills, but most especially Time Management, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring.
Required skills for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics, Law and Government, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service include Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Finger Dexterity, Category Flexibility.
Required abilities for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
Daily Activities
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service spend their time on activities such as Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes.
Most important work activities for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service.
About
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
The average yearly wage for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service was $47,655 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-9051 - Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service reports an average salary of $47,655.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 62,730 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -5.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.