How to become a postal service mail sorter, processors, and processing machine operators

Q: How do I become a postal service mail sorter, processors, and processing machine operators?

The typical entry-level education is usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..

Q: How much does a postal service mail sorter, processors, and processing machine operators make?

The median pay in the United States is $58,470 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025).

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.

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.Typical entry-level education

$58,470Median pay a year

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators do

Clear jams in sorting equipment.
Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.

Skills that matter most

Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Writing
Active Learning
Learning Strategies

Is postal service mail sorter, processors, and processing machine operators a good career?

On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 15% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

District of Columbia $66,750
South Dakota $61,570
Iowa $60,530
New Jersey $60,530
Wyoming $60,530

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.