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Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Use hand or mail handling machines to 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.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91,530 | 3.0 % | $14.70 | $30,580 | 0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $9.19 | $10.94 | $14.02 | $17.76 | $21.74 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $19,110 | $22,750 | $29,160 | $36,940 | $45,220 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Support Services | 14,140 | 1.54 | $13.20 | $27,450 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 11,370 | 2.35 | $13.90 | $28,900 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 9,020 | 2.39 | $13.92 | $28,950 |
| Employment Services | 6,050 | 0.17 | $13.04 | $27,120 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 4,990 | 0.25 | $16.97 | $35,300 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 9,020 | 2.39 | $13.92 | $28,950 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 11,370 | 2.35 | $13.90 | $28,900 |
| Business Support Services | 14,140 | 1.54 | $13.20 | $27,450 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,440 | 0.98 | $14.98 | $31,150 |
| Activities Related to Credit Intermediation | 1,490 | 0.51 | $15.40 | $32,030 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas Distribution | 50 | 0.04 | $24.56 | $51,080 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 50 | 0.01 | $23.33 | $48,520 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | 520 | 0.12 | $19.19 | $39,910 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 440 | 0.06 | $18.67 | $38,840 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 50 | 0.02 | $18.62 | $38,720 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 8,280 | 0.91 | 1.40 | $16.72 | $34,780 |
| Texas | 7,190 | 0.61 | 0.94 | $14.09 | $29,300 |
| California | 6,290 | 0.39 | 0.60 | $16.39 | $34,100 |
| Illinois | 5,480 | 0.93 | 1.42 | $14.03 | $29,170 |
| Florida | 5,330 | 0.65 | 0.99 | $12.91 | $26,860 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,280 | 1.82 | 2.80 | $21.00 | $43,680 |
| Iowa | 2,020 | 1.31 | 2.02 | $13.21 | $27,470 |
| Minnesota | 2,950 | 1.05 | 1.61 | $15.21 | $31,650 |
| Delaware | 460 | 1.04 | 1.59 | $13.48 | $28,040 |
| Utah | 1,410 | 1.03 | 1.57 | $14.35 | $29,860 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1,280 | 1.82 | 2.80 | $21.00 | $43,680 |
| Alaska | 160 | 0.50 | 0.77 | $17.75 | $36,930 |
| Massachusetts | 2,030 | 0.59 | 0.90 | $17.21 | $35,800 |
| New York | 8,280 | 0.91 | 1.40 | $16.72 | $34,780 |
| Washington | 880 | 0.29 | 0.44 | $16.59 | $34,500 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 6,040 | 0.92 | 1.41 | $16.43 | $34,180 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 4,240 | 1.16 | 1.79 | $14.37 | $29,880 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 3,360 | 1.35 | 2.07 | $17.15 | $35,670 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,340 | 0.92 | 1.40 | $13.17 | $27,390 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,950 | 1.02 | 1.57 | $15.40 | $32,030 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 1,880 | 0.77 | 1.19 | $14.62 | $30,410 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,460 | 0.50 | 0.76 | $14.70 | $30,570 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 1,440 | 0.74 | 1.14 | $12.84 | $26,700 |
| Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division | 1,420 | 1.11 | 1.70 | $16.63 | $34,600 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 1,370 | 0.76 | 1.17 | $17.38 | $36,150 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynchburg, VA | 470 | 4.73 | 7.26 | $11.77 | $24,490 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 1,080 | 3.04 | 4.67 | $13.51 | $28,110 |
| Topeka, KS | 260 | 2.37 | 3.63 | $11.47 | $23,850 |
| Springfield, IL | 240 | 2.27 | 3.49 | $11.28 | $23,470 |
| Fresno, CA | 700 | 1.99 | 3.05 | $14.17 | $29,470 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 220 | 1.57 | 2.41 | $13.98 | $29,090 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 1,290 | 1.53 | 2.35 | $13.75 | $28,610 |
| Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 350 | 1.44 | 2.20 | $13.85 | $28,810 |
| Great Falls, MT | 50 | 1.44 | 2.21 | $10.65 | $22,160 |
| Reading, PA | 240 | 1.42 | 2.18 | $14.47 | $30,110 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danbury, CT | (8) | (8) | (8) | $20.75 | $43,160 |
| Trenton, NJ | 260 | 1.17 | 1.79 | $18.96 | $39,430 |
| Dutchess County-Putnam County, NY Metropolitan Division | 40 | 0.28 | 0.43 | $18.66 | $38,820 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 610 | 0.57 | 0.87 | $18.28 | $38,010 |
| Framingham, MA NECTA Division | 130 | 0.76 | 1.16 | $18.17 | $37,790 |
| Salinas, CA | 40 | 0.25 | 0.39 | $18.16 | $37,770 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 350 | 0.60 | 0.92 | $18.10 | $37,650 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 490 | 0.31 | 0.48 | $17.89 | $37,210 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,290 | 0.31 | 0.47 | $17.79 | $37,000 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 410 | 0.75 | 1.15 | $17.72 | $36,850 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 470 | 2.93 | 4.49 | $15.72 | $32,700 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 380 | 2.03 | 3.12 | $13.74 | $28,580 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.73 | 1.12 | $11.76 | $24,470 |
| Northeast Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.04 | 1.60 | $12.69 | $26,390 |
| Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 0.63 | 0.97 | $13.02 | $27,080 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 470 | 2.93 | 4.49 | $15.72 | $32,700 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 380 | 2.03 | 3.12 | $13.74 | $28,580 |
| Northeast Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.04 | 1.60 | $12.69 | $26,390 |
| West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 0.96 | 1.47 | $13.62 | $28,340 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.86 | 1.32 | $11.72 | $24,380 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.49 | 0.76 | $16.92 | $35,190 |
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $16.88 | $35,110 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 0.70 | 1.07 | $16.87 | $35,100 |
| West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.55 | 0.85 | $16.64 | $34,610 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.32 | 0.50 | $16.58 | $34,480 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017