Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
Office and Administrative Support
Incoming mail gets opened, time-stamped, read, sorted, and sent to the right place; outgoing pieces are addressed, folded, stuffed, sealed, and stamped. Packages may be wrapped by hand or tied by machine, and postage goes on by hand or with a meter. Carts move sorted containers to designated areas, and large-volume drops from mailers or couriers get checked before they enter the flow. The work is physical and repetitive, wrapping bundles, moving containers, and following set procedures so items leave in the right condition and by the right method. People who like hands-on routines, checking addresses and postage, and following a fixed processing sequence tend to do well here.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$39'280
Median Wage Market Position
$39'280
What you might do
- Sort incoming mail and collect outgoing pieces
- Check addresses, postage, and package condition
- Stamp postage on letters and packages
- Wrap packages by hand or with a tying machine
- Move sorted mail to the assigned holding area
- Decide how each piece of mail should be sent
Skills that matter
- Sorting and routing incoming mail
- Checking addresses, postage, and condition
- Deciding how each item should be sent
- Affixing postage by hand or meter
- Wrapping packages and sealing envelopes
- Accepting and checking incoming mail containers
AI & the future of this role
Sorting and preparing physical mail still involves hands-on handling that machines have not fully displaced everywhere. Digital communication and automated sorting equipment may continue to shrink volumes and staffing needs, though in-person logistics remain part of the work.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details