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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

43-5053 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. Excludes “Postal Service Clerks” (43-5051) and “Postal Service Mail Carriers” (43-5052).


National estimates for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Industry profile for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Geographic profile for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

National estimates for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
112,130 0.1 % $ 24.52 $ 51,010 0.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.34 $ 18.69 $ 23.34 $ 30.74 $ 30.87
Annual Wage (2) $ 36,070 $ 38,880 $ 48,550 $ 63,940 $ 64,210


Industry profile for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service (federal government) 111,680 17.73 $ 24.53 $ 51,030

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service (federal government) 111,680 17.73 $ 24.53 $ 51,030

Top paying industries for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service (federal government) 111,680 17.73 $ 24.53 $ 51,030


Geographic profile for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 12,920 0.78 0.98 $ 24.78 $ 51,550
New York 9,440 1.09 1.37 $ 24.68 $ 51,340
Florida 6,920 0.80 1.01 $ 24.29 $ 50,530
Texas 6,830 0.56 0.70 $ 25.22 $ 52,450
Illinois 6,200 1.10 1.39 $ 24.30 $ 50,550


Map of location quotient of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rhode Island 670 1.47 1.84 $ 24.33 $ 50,600
New Jersey 4,820 1.25 1.57 $ 25.27 $ 52,550
New Hampshire 780 1.22 1.53 $ 23.89 $ 49,680
Illinois 6,200 1.10 1.39 $ 24.30 $ 50,550
Missouri 2,980 1.09 1.37 $ 24.08 $ 50,090


Map of annual mean wages of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 530 0.80 1.01 $ 26.25 $ 54,590
Idaho 210 0.28 0.35 $ 26.05 $ 54,180
Washington 1,920 0.60 0.75 $ 25.57 $ 53,190
Connecticut 1,150 0.73 0.92 $ 25.49 $ 53,020
Oklahoma 720 0.46 0.58 $ 25.32 $ 52,670



Map of employment of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 11,130 1.28 1.61 $ 25.02 $ 52,040
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,250 1.09 1.37 $ 24.09 $ 50,110
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 5,680 1.34 1.69 $ 24.23 $ 50,390
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,060 0.85 1.07 $ 25.98 $ 54,040
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,810 1.06 1.33 $ 25.24 $ 52,490
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,770 1.07 1.34 $ 24.05 $ 50,030
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,680 0.91 1.15 $ 25.70 $ 53,450
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 2,630 1.46 1.83 $ 24.50 $ 50,960
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,290 0.93 1.17 $ 24.08 $ 50,090
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,200 0.98 1.23 $ 26.57 $ 55,260


Map of location quotient of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Charleston, WV 430 4.32 5.42 $ 23.05 $ 47,950
Springfield, MA-CT 1,260 4.09 5.14 $ 23.32 $ 48,500
Fayetteville, NC 490 3.92 4.92 $ 22.08 $ 45,930
Greensboro-High Point, NC 1,070 3.13 3.93 $ 24.24 $ 50,430
Manchester, NH 320 3.02 3.80 $ 24.50 $ 50,950
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 890 2.85 3.58 $ 23.10 $ 48,050
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 460 2.81 3.53 $ 22.97 $ 47,770
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 910 2.55 3.20 $ 25.09 $ 52,190
Trenton, NJ 550 2.42 3.04 $ 26.28 $ 54,670
Champaign-Urbana, IL 220 2.28 2.87 $ 24.34 $ 50,620


Map of annual mean wages of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Huntsville, AL 60 0.24 0.31 $ 26.84 $ 55,830
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,200 0.98 1.23 $ 26.57 $ 55,260
Wausau, WI 50 0.66 0.83 $ 26.47 $ 55,060
Trenton, NJ 550 2.42 3.04 $ 26.28 $ 54,670
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 150 0.63 0.79 $ 26.23 $ 54,550
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 40 0.93 1.17 $ 26.20 $ 54,490
Rocky Mount, NC 110 2.05 2.58 $ 26.17 $ 54,430
Boise City, ID 180 0.53 0.66 $ 26.08 $ 54,250
New Haven, CT 150 0.53 0.66 $ 26.01 $ 54,090
Madison, WI 230 0.60 0.76 $ 26.00 $ 54,080

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 100 0.90 1.13 $ 22.54 $ 46,890
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 80 0.81 1.02 $ 25.33 $ 52,680
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 70 1.28 1.61 $ 24.75 $ 51,480
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 60 0.39 0.48 $ 23.21 $ 48,280
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 40 0.33 0.42 $ 23.27 $ 48,410

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 70 1.28 1.61 $ 24.75 $ 51,480
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 100 0.90 1.13 $ 22.54 $ 46,890
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 80 0.81 1.02 $ 25.33 $ 52,680
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 0.50 $ 24.48 $ 50,920
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 60 0.39 0.48 $ 23.21 $ 48,280

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 80 0.81 1.02 $ 25.33 $ 52,680
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 70 1.28 1.61 $ 24.75 $ 51,480
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 40 0.40 0.50 $ 24.48 $ 50,920
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.32 0.40 $ 24.23 $ 50,400
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.09 0.12 $ 23.61 $ 49,110


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

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.

(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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022