SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-5052.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $42,390 | $3,532 | $815 | $20.38 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $48,940 | $4,078 | $941 | $23.53 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $60,550 | $5,046 | $1,164 | $29.11 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $81,000 | $6,750 | $1,558 | $38.94 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $81,040 | $6,753 | $1,558 | $38.96 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Postal Service Mail Carriers is $60,550, which is 19% higher. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 5 by median pay. With 328,820 jobs, it makes up about 21 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Postal Service Mail Carriers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($64,250), Rhode Island ($63,610) and Arizona ($62,390). The lowest was in Virgin Islands ($55,490), Guam ($56,080) and Mississippi ($57,470). The most jobs were in California (32,320), Texas (26,700) and Florida (20,810). The occupation is most concentrated in Mississippi, where its share of all jobs is 1.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 930 | $64,250 | $65,030 | $30.89 |
| Rhode Island | 1,220 | $63,610 | $63,890 | $30.58 |
| Arizona | 5,300 | $62,390 | $63,650 | $30.00 |
| California | 32,320 | $62,090 | $64,560 | $29.85 |
| Illinois | 14,730 | $62,070 | $63,500 | $29.84 |
| Maryland | 6,420 | $62,070 | $63,400 | $29.84 |
| Massachusetts | 7,630 | $62,070 | $64,500 | $29.84 |
| Nevada | 2,530 | $62,070 | $63,090 | $29.84 |
| New York | 20,580 | $62,070 | $64,100 | $29.84 |
| Virginia | 7,900 | $62,070 | $62,790 | $29.84 |
| Connecticut | 4,510 | $61,130 | $62,740 | $29.39 |
| Florida | 20,810 | $61,130 | $62,670 | $29.39 |
| New Jersey | 10,160 | $61,130 | $63,230 | $29.39 |
| Ohio | 12,680 | $61,130 | $62,990 | $29.39 |
| South Dakota | 850 | $60,760 | $61,420 | $29.21 |
| Texas | 26,700 | $60,550 | $62,050 | $29.11 |
| Minnesota | 5,890 | $59,990 | $62,540 | $28.84 |
| New Hampshire | 1,560 | $59,990 | $62,330 | $28.84 |
| North Carolina | 11,030 | $59,990 | $61,920 | $28.84 |
| Washington | 6,550 | $59,990 | $62,830 | $28.84 |
| Alaska | 450 | $59,880 | $62,380 | $28.79 |
| Colorado | 5,100 | $59,880 | $62,480 | $28.79 |
| Delaware | 1,130 | $59,880 | $62,120 | $28.79 |
| Hawaii | 1,200 | $59,880 | $63,840 | $28.79 |
| Indiana | 6,910 | $59,880 | $62,140 | $28.79 |
| Iowa | 3,730 | $59,880 | $61,480 | $28.79 |
| Michigan | 11,610 | $59,880 | $62,190 | $28.79 |
| Missouri | 7,260 | $59,880 | $62,220 | $28.79 |
| Nebraska | 2,150 | $59,880 | $61,400 | $28.79 |
| New Mexico | 1,570 | $59,880 | $62,250 | $28.79 |
| Oklahoma | 4,130 | $59,880 | $61,400 | $28.79 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,900 | $59,880 | $62,460 | $28.79 |
| Utah | 2,460 | $59,880 | $62,210 | $28.79 |
| Wisconsin | 6,470 | $59,880 | $62,190 | $28.79 |
| Wyoming | 430 | $59,880 | $61,840 | $28.79 |
| Arkansas | 3,030 | $59,700 | $61,620 | $28.70 |
| Oregon | 3,760 | $59,400 | $61,570 | $28.56 |
| Maine | 1,510 | $59,010 | $61,820 | $28.37 |
| Montana | 830 | $59,010 | $61,070 | $28.37 |
| North Dakota | 800 | $59,010 | $60,640 | $28.37 |
| Vermont | 690 | $59,010 | $61,350 | $28.37 |
| Kentucky | 4,640 | $58,910 | $61,200 | $28.32 |
| Louisiana | 5,090 | $58,910 | $61,260 | $28.32 |
| Tennessee | 7,310 | $58,570 | $60,590 | $28.16 |
| Kansas | 3,310 | $58,540 | $61,260 | $28.15 |
| Idaho | 1,660 | $57,820 | $60,220 | $27.80 |
| Alabama | 5,840 | $57,700 | $60,050 | $27.74 |
| Georgia | 10,790 | $57,700 | $60,260 | $27.74 |
| South Carolina | 5,650 | $57,700 | $59,480 | $27.74 |
| West Virginia | 1,850 | $57,700 | $60,170 | $27.74 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,240 | $57,700 | $62,360 | $27.74 |
| Mississippi | 3,290 | $57,470 | $59,590 | $27.63 |
| Guam | 40 | $56,080 | $60,420 | $26.96 |
| Virgin Islands | 40 | $55,490 | $60,480 | $26.68 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$69,500 a year
- Brokerage Clerks$65,750 a year
- Postal Service Clerks$62,130 a year
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks$59,650 a year
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators$58,470 a year
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks$58,260 a year
Common questions
How much do Postal Service Mail Carriers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $60,550 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,390 and the highest-paid 10% more than $81,040.
How many people work as Postal Service Mail Carriers?
About 328,820 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.