Mail Carrier Career Guide

Mail carriers have to important job of ensuring that post is delivered safely and efficiently. They ensure that packages and letters are delivered on time and safely after the mail is sorted at processing facilities.

We have the inside scoop on what life is really like for mail carriers. We have spoken to professionals in the field. Our career profiles provide you with the details you need to make an informed choice on whether this career is a good one fit for you. Browse the mail carrier profiles below to learn more.

Mail Carrier Career Ratings

(What these ratings mean)

Income

Career
Growth

Personal Growth

Contribution

Influence

Job Profiles

Real-Life Mail Carrier Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the Mail Carrier field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
32645	Postal Carrier	Female	58	$50,000	Venice, CA	01/01/2010

Overview

What a mail carrier does

A mail carrier works for the United States Postal Service (USPS). A mail carrier is responsible for delivering mail to individuals and customers. They ensure that packages and letters are delivered on time and safely after the mail is sorted at processing facilities. Most mail carriers have a regular route, so they deliver to the same customers on a daily basis. Their typical duties and responsibilities include:

Collecting letters and parcels
Sorting incoming letters and parcels
Selling stamps and other postal products
Getting customer signatures for registered, certified, and insured mail
Operating various types of postal equipment
Distributing incoming mail from postal trucks

Why they are needed

Postal services in the United States deliver 429.9 million pieces of mail daily and serves roughly 161.4 million addresses in the country. As a result, mail carriers are very important because they deliver this huge abundance of mail – whether thats to large business buildings or to an individuals home. Whether its raining, snowing or bright blue skies, a mail carrier will be out there ensuring that we are receive all the important documentation we need.

Pros and cons of a career as a mail carrier

Pros:

It can involve a lot of walking, suitable for those looking for an active job!
You get the chance to meet a lot of people, making it a very sociable career
The work of a mail carrier is very important, which makes it a highly rewarding career
There is little educational requirements, making it an accessible career
There is a lot of independence as mail carriers work alone

Cons:

Some people may find it boring and not stimulating enough
It can be quite stressful as there will always be delays, deadlines and traffic!
It can get quite lonely
The hours can be long and taxing
Mail carriers are not always respected, which can make it a hard career

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the overall employment of postal service mail carriers is projected to decline 14% from 2019 to 2029. This decline in employment is expected because the use of automated “delivery point sequencing” systems that sort letter mail directly will reduce the amount of time that carriers spend on mail sorting. The time saved on sorting mail means that carriers will have more time on their rounds, and will therefore be able to increase the size of their route. This increased route size will reduce the need to hire more carriers.

In addition, the postal service is moving towards a more centralized mail delivery, such as the use of cluster mailboxes, to cut down on the number of door-to-door deliveries. This will further reduce the demand for mail carriers.

Career paths

As well as passing this exam, mail carriers must be at least 18 years old, or 16 years old with a high school diploma. They must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident-alien status. Males must have registered with the Selective Service when they reached age 18.

When accepted, applicants must undergo a criminal background check and pass a physical exam and a drug test. Applicants also may be asked to show that they can lift and handle heavy mail sacks. Mail carriers who drive at work must have a safe driving record, and applicants must receive a passing grade on a road test. After passing the checks and completing the exam, postal service workers will receive on-the-job training, which usually lasts less than one month.

Example Job Titles for Mail Carrier

Below is a list of common job titles in the Mail Carrier field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for all postal service workers in the United States was $51,150 per year. The lowest 10% earned less than $37,730 and the highest 10% earned more than $65,040. Specifically, postal service mail carriers earned an average annual salary of $50,080.

Autonomy and Flexibility

Mail service carriers are likely to have some autonomy as the job promotes independence. Throughout the day, mail carriers will get to make decisions on how to best get the post delivered on time. However, autonomy isn’t always high as postal carriers must ensure that they follow the routes selected for them and stick to rules and guidelines.

Locations and commute

According to Zippia, the best state to be a mail carrier, based on average annual salary and number of jobs available, are:

New Hampshire, where the average annual salary is $81,672
Rhode Island, where the average annual salary is $82,390
Nevada, where the average annual salary is $78,931
Connecticut, where the average annual salary is $82,078
Delaware, where the average annual salary is $80,880

The worst states to be a mail carrier, according to Zippia, are Iowa, Florida, New Mexico, Maryland and Oregon.

Work environment

Postal service mail carriers held about 326,600 jobs in the United States in 2019. Typically, they will be required to work outside in all weather conditions and may have to lift heavy packages where necessary.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Mail Carrier careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Mail Carrier career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Mail Carrier.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

None

Big Five (OCEAN)

None

DISC

C (Analyst)

Enneagram

None

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

In general, mail carriers will spend a lot of time in vans driving around. Therefore, to be a successful mail carrier, you will need t0 be a responsible driver and therefore have minimal road traffic accidents. One study found that excitement seeking and aggression had an impact on the number of road traffic accidents due to the driving behaviours they cause. These results imply that to be a successful mail carrier, you should display low excitement seeking and low aggression. On a similar note, drivers without driving violations tend to express a higher need for personal control, are significantly less risk-taking in their behaviour, are more conforming and inclined to avoid novel sensations as well as socially-stimulating situations than those with driving violations. Based on the results of this study, drivers who have less accidents, therefore making them more successful mail carriers, are likely to show personal control, less risk-taking behaviour and will most likely be introverted.

Accomplishment and mastery

The sense of accomplishment and mastery can be very high in mail carrier. The skills and education required are not particularly difficult to obtain, but once qualified you get a lot of responsibility and independence so there is a sense of accomplishing something and mastering a new skill.

Meaning and contribution

As mentioned previously, mail carriers play a crucial role in society by ensuring that we all receive our important mail. Due to this, there is a high sense of meaning and contribution that comes from being a mail carrier.

Life fit

Most mail carriers are employed full time. However, overtime is sometimes required, particularly during the holiday season. Because mail is delivered 6 days a week, many postal service workers must work on Saturdays. Some also work on Sundays.

Who will thrive in this career?

Being a mail carrier can sometimes be stressful, lonely and tiresome. As a result, in order to thrive and be successful, mail carriers need to work hard and think positive. You will thrive in this career if you are organized and can plan ahead, taking into account the likelihood of unforeseen circumstances such as traffic or delays. Those who like to work independently and are good at managing themselves will also thrive, and will most likely end up loving the job for its self-dependent nature.

Who will struggle in this career

It goes without saying that those who thrive best working in a team environment, or like to be constantly surrounded by other people, will struggle in this career due to the independent nature of the work. Those who are naturally spontaneous, excitement seeking and do not follow rules may also struggle in this career as these behaviours can lead to reckless driving behaviour, which will cause more accidents.

Requirements

Skills

Skills and talents

The typical skills and talents required for a mail carrier include:

Problem-solving skills, as mail carriers will be faced with new problems everyday (e.g., traffic, delays, road closures) and will have to find efficient ways to resolve these issues
Customer-service skills as mail carriers will interact with members of the public and must ensure they leave a lasting impression
Physical stamina, as they will need to be able to stand or walk for long periods of time
Physical strength, as mail carriers might need to lift heavy bags or parcels
Organization skills, as mail carriers will need to ensure they organize their parcels and letters

Education

All postal service worker applicants must pass a written exam that covers four areas: 1) address cross comparison; 2) forms completion; 3) memory and coding; and 4) personal characteristics and experience. Jobseekers should contact the post office or mail processing center where they want to work to find out when exams are given. As well as passing this exam, mail carriers must be at least 18 years old, or 16 years old with a high school diploma. They must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident-alien status. Males must have registered with the Selective Service when they reached age 18.

Certifications

Mail carriers don’t need any official certifications. However, if they are wanting to drive vans with mail in, they will need a drivers license.

How to Become

Summary

A career as a mail carrier offers an independent and rewarding career in a demanding and fast-growing industry. A mail carrier works for the United States Postal Service (USPS) and is responsible for delivering mail to individuals and customers. Their work has high meaning and contribution, as they ensure that everyone in the United States receives their mail safely and efficiently.

Immediate action

If after reading this career guide becoming a mail carrier is something that really appeals to you, then great! What we recommend doing is doing some research and finding out where you can sit your postal service exam.

Education and learning

All postal service worker applicants must pass a written exam that covers four areas: 1) address cross comparison; 2) forms completion; 3) memory and coding; and 4) personal characteristics and experience. As well as passing this exam, mail carriers must be at least 18 years old, or 16 years old with a high school diploma.

Skill development

To gather the skills needed to be a successful mail carrier, you should revise for the postal service exam. Once you get a job as a mail carrier, you will receive some on-the-job training to enhance your skills.

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about Mail Carrier careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
32645	Postal Carrier	Female	58	$50,000	Venice, CA	01/01/2010

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