Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary: $57,490 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 336,040 postal service mail carriers work nationally, and $57,490 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 2.2% annual decline; much hiring sits in transportation and warehousing.
Postal Service Mail Carriers: what the data shows
Common questions about postal service mail carriers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a postal service mail carriers?
Postal Service Mail Carriers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-5052.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 336,040 workers.
What does a postal service mail carriers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a postal service mail carriers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $57,490 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,138 |
| 25th percentile | $49,105 |
| Median (50th) | $59,648 |
| 75th percentile | $76,922 |
| 90th percentile | $76,922 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Time Management, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Sales and Marketing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is postal service mail carriers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -10.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -19.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 336,040.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do postal service mail carrierss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 336,040 | 16.7% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 336,040 | 16.7% |
| Postal Service (Federal Government) | 336,040 | 16.7% |
| Postal Service (Federal Government) | 336,040 | 16.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 336,040 | 16.7% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 336,040 | 16.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Postal Service Mail Carriers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians | 18,710 | $50,540 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers | 124,130 | $56,170 |
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 143,590 | $33,720 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,725,930 | $42,830 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Postal Service Mail Carriers workforce.
Employment Over Time
336,040 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Postal Service Mail Carriers shrank from 155,440 in 2009 to 109,000 in 2025 (29.9%).
Historical employment for Postal Service Mail Carriers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$57,490 Median pay (BLS national)
Postal Service Mail Carriers earn $57,490 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Salary distribution for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
97,557 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -10.5%
87,315 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -19.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Postal Service Mail Carriers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Postal Service Mail Carriers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-4.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
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:
- CA: 33,150 employees, $60,700 avg wage
- TX: 27,180 employees, $59,740 avg wage
- FL: 21,290 employees, $59,810 avg wage
- NY: 21,000 employees, $60,250 avg wage
- IL: 15,240 employees, $59,980 avg wage
- PA: 14,490 employees, $59,190 avg wage
- OH: 13,070 employees, $59,930 avg wage
- MI: 12,010 employees, $59,010 avg wage
- NC: 11,300 employees, $60,120 avg wage
- GA: 11,090 employees, $58,730 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 20,570 employees, $60,260 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 11,490 employees, $60,550 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 10,650 employees, $60,540 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 7,270 employees, $60,610 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 6,950 employees, $59,440 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 6,820 employees, $59,500 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 6,380 employees, $61,700 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 6,020 employees, $59,440 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 5,990 employees, $58,660 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 5,620 employees, $59,230 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Postal Service Mail Carriers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Postal Service Mail Carriers is about 336,040 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
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 Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Postal Service Mail Carriers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Postal Service Mail Carriers workers.
Education level distribution for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Skills
Postal Service Mail Carriers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Time Management.
Required skills for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Postal Service Mail Carriers include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Sales and Marketing, Transportation.
Knowledge areas required for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Postal Service Mail Carriers include Near Vision, Information Ordering, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Trunk Strength, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Postal Service Mail Carriers.
Daily Activities
Postal Service Mail Carriers spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public.
Most important work activities for Postal Service Mail Carriers.
About
Postal Service Mail Carriers
Postal Service Mail Carriers earn $57,490 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
43-5052 - Postal Service Mail Carriers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Postal Service Mail Carriers reports an average salary of $62,007.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 336,040 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.2%, 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.