Postal Service Clerks: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Office and Administrative Support · SOC 43-5051 · O*NET 43-5051.00
Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.
Postal Service Clerks fall under the Office and Administrative Support category in the U.S. occupational classification. Postal Service Clerks earn a median salary of $61,630 per year, ranking in the top 45% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -3.5% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do postal service clerks earn?
The median annual wage for postal service clerks is $61,630. That puts postal service clerks at #365 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $42,600 |
| 25th percentile | $55,410 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $61,630 |
| 75th percentile | $74,050 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $74,050 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.63/hr |
Is postal service clerks a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for postal service clerks is -3.5%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 74K positions in 2024 to 71K in 2034, a net change of -3K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do postal service clerks do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working postal service clerks, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.
- 2.Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing.
- 3.Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices.
- 4.Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail.
- 5.Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes.
- 6.Transport mail from one work station to another.
Top skills for postal service clerks
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become postal service clerk?
Many postal service clerks enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants$74,260 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$66,140 median
- Brokerage Clerks$62,940 median
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks$57,770 median
- Postal Service Mail Carriers$57,490 median
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators$56,530 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about postal service clerks
What is the median salary for postal service clerks?
The median annual salary for postal service clerks is $61,630 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is postal service clerks a growing career?
BLS projects -3.5% growth for postal service clerks from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become postal service clerk?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to postal service clerks?
Related occupations within the Office and Administrative Support category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.