Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service, work in a field that combines hands-on tasks with attention to detail and customer interaction. National employment stands at 67,000, with 7,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing turnover and hiring needs even as overall employment is projected to decline by 6.6%. The role typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent, making it accessible to individuals starting their careers or changing fields. Success in this occupation draws on fine motor skills, physical strength and stamina, mechanical aptitude, and the ability to stay detail oriented. Customer service and interpersonal skills also play a role, alongside basic mathematics, computers and information technology, problem solving, and written and reading abilities. For people who prefer practical, task-focused work that blends physical activity with routine processes, this occupation can offer a steady environment with defined expectations and opportunities across a range of states and metro areas.
Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service, earn a national median annual salary of $38,150. Pay varies by location, creating different earning prospects depending on where you work. Several states listed among the strongest opportunities offer higher median wages, such as Massachusetts at $48,860, Washington at $46,380, California at $44,410, Colorado at $43,430, and New York at $42,020. At the metro level, median salaries are also above the national figure in several areas, including Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH at $47,500, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $47,430, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $48,050. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro shows a median of $44,220. These differences mean that relocating or targeting specific regions can significantly affect potential earnings within this occupation.
This occupation has national employment of 67,000, with projected employment growth of -6.6%. While overall job numbers are expected to decline, there are still 7,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that a substantial number of positions become available each year due to turnover, workforce changes, or other factors, even as total employment trends downward. For job seekers, this means that opportunities continue to exist, but it may be important to be flexible about geography and employer type. The negative projected growth rate points to a more competitive environment over time, and candidates who bring the listed skills—such as detail orientation, physical strength and stamina, customer service, computer use, and problem solving—may be better positioned to secure available roles. When considering this field, it is useful to weigh the ongoing flow of openings against the longer-term decline in overall employment levels.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service. Among states, California ranks strongly with a median salary of $44,410 and employment of 4,710, paired with an opportunity score of 67.38. New York also shows sizable employment at 5,990 and a median salary of $42,020, with a similar opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts, though smaller in employment at 1,050, offers a higher median salary of $48,860 and an opportunity score of 65.87. Colorado and Washington provide median salaries of $43,430 and $46,380, with opportunity scores of 56.97 and 56.29, respectively. At the metro level, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ areas stand out with the highest opportunity scores—77.42 and 77.27—along with median salaries above the national median. Other notable metros include San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV; and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, all offering median pay above or near top state levels.
The typical education requirement for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service, is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who have completed secondary education without needing additional formal degrees. However, success in the role depends heavily on a well-rounded skill set. Fine motor skills and physical strength and stamina support the hands-on and often physically active nature of the work. Being detail oriented is important, as are mechanical skills for working with mail machines. Customer service and interpersonal skills help in interactions with others, while mathematics and computers and information technology skills support basic calculations and use of digital systems. Problem solving and decision making, along with strong writing and reading abilities, round out the profile. For students and career changers, building these competencies alongside a high school education can improve readiness for this occupation.
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