Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-9051 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$39,291
$18.89/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 Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service is $39,291 per year ($18.89/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,464 and $46,446 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $54,829 per year. There are approximately 55,230 mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Time-stamp, open, read, sort, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, stamp, fold, stuff, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.6%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
7K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
67K
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
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Business Support Services
NAICS 561400
12K
$36,900
Printing and Related Support Activities
NAICS 323100
4K
$40,340
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
NAICS 541800
4K
$37,050
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
3K
$39,450
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
NAICS 513100
3K
$32,350
Wage range across top 5 industries: $32,350 to $40,340 (25% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.80
$30,784
P25
$17.05
$35,464
P50MEDIAN
$18.89
$39,291
P75
$22.33
$46,446
P90
$26.36
$54,829
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 mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service salary?
The national median salary for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service is $39,291 per year ($18.89/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,464 and $46,446 annually.
How much do top-earning mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service is $54,829 per year ($26.36/hr). The 75th percentile is $46,446 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service?
Entry-level Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service (10th percentile) earn approximately $30,784 per year ($14.80/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,464 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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