Business & Finance
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors.
Median salary (BLS)
$58,470
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$46k – $75k
Job outlook
No separate BLS projection for this specific role
AI exposure
Plan a path to Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateCost to qualify
$500–$3,150
Time to qualify
1 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
High school diploma or GED
CourseExpected by most employers; if you need the GED, test fees run $0–$150 depending on the state.
$0–$150 · 3 months · varies by state source
- 2
On-the-job training
ExperienceEmployer-provided and typically paid — days to a few months for most no-degree roles.
Cost varies · 3 months source
- 3
Industry certification (optional for many roles)
CertificationRole-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.
$500–$3,000 · 6 months source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Entry / Junior
$45,530
~2 yrs to advance
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Established
$58,470
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Senior
$66,875
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Business & Finance
Explore all- University of Pennsylvania6% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.