Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-5053 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$58,469
$28.11/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators is $58,469 per year ($28.11/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,880 and $75,026 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $75,275 per year. There are approximately 105,200 postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-8.4%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
8K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
106K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 1 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Postal Service (Federal Government)
NAICS 491100
105K
$58,470
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$21.89
$45,531
P25
$23.50
$48,880
P50MEDIAN
$28.11
$58,469
P75
$36.07
$75,026
P90
$36.19
$75,275
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary?
The national median salary for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators is $58,469 per year ($28.11/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,880 and $75,026 annually.
How much do top-earning postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators is $75,275 per year ($36.19/hr). The 75th percentile is $75,026 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators?
Entry-level Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $45,531 per year ($21.89/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,880 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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