Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators salary by state
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators is a professional role within the function in the Office and Administrative Support job family.
What Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:MonitoringSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingCoordinationTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators pay by experience level
Entry level$47,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$50,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$60,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$77,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$78,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-8.4%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
7,800
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators salary by industry
Sectors 48 and 49 – Transportation and Warehousing
105,200 workers
$61,500
Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)
105,200 workers
$61,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators pays 14% above the average across 55 roles in the Office and Administrative Support job family (family average $54,000).
Similar-paying roles in Office and Administrative Support
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators make?
The average base salary for a Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators in the United States is $61,500 per year, or about $29.57 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $50,500 and $77,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Office and Administrative Support roles?
The Office and Administrative Support job family averages $54,000 across 55 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
