Postal service mail carriers

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

334k

Average Age

45.9

Estimated Job Growth

−13.5%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$52,317

Average Male Salary

$55,354

Average Female Salary

$47,670

About

Postal service mail carriers are most often employed by the Postal Service industry. The average yearly wage for Postal service mail carriers was $52,317 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Postal service mail carriers by wage are Biological technicians, Correctional officers and jailers, and Sailors & marine oilers, & ship engineers.

Postal service mail carriers are part of the Office & Administrative Support Occupations, along with Firstline supervisors of office & administrative support workers, Switchboard operators, including answering service, Telephone operators, Communications equipment operators, all other, Bill & account collectors, and 45 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Postal service mail carriers are Thornton Township PUMA, IL, District of Columbia (East) PUMA, DC, and New Orleans City (Northeast) PUMA, LA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Postal service mail carriers are District of Columbia (East) PUMA, DC, Thornton Township PUMA, IL, and New Orleans City (Northeast) PUMA, LA.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Postal service mail carriers and on wages and locations for those in the field. Postal Service is the industry that employs the most Postal service mail carriers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Postal service mail carriers, by average wage, is Postal Service. Postal service mail carriers are paid most in Farragut Town PUMA, TN but are relatively concentrated in District of Columbia (East) PUMA, DC.

Yearly Wage

$52,317

AVERAGE SALARY

± $1,125

In 2020, Postal service mail carriers earned an average of $52,317, $3,637 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Sailors & marine oilers, & ship engineers make somewhat more than Postal service mail carriers while Biological technicians make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Postal service mail carriers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.21

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Postal service mail carriers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.21, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Postal service mail carriers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Postal service mail carriers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Postal service mail carriers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Postal service mail carriers.

Employment Over Time

334k

2020 Workforce

± 14,172

1.69%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 5.93%

The number of people employed as Postal service mail carriers has been growing at a rate of 1.69%, from 328,400 people in 2019 to 333,957 people in 2020.

This graphic shows how the number of Postal service mail carriers employed by the Postal Service industry has changed over time.

Diversity

Demographic information on Postal service mail carriers in the US. The average age of male Postal service mail carriers in the workforce is 46.3 and of female Postal service mail carriers is 45.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Postal service mail carriers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

202k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 11,026

132k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 8,915

60.5% of Postal service mail carriers are Male, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Postal service mail carriers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Postal service mail carriers

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

59.8% of Postal service mail carriers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 19% of Postal service mail carriers, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Postal service mail carriers.

Age by Sex

46.3

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 0.699

45.2

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 0.818

The median age of Postal service mail carriers is 45.9, and Male employees are generally 1.12 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Postal service mail carriers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Postal service mail carriers is Business but a relatively high number of Postal service mail carriers hold a major in Theology.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Postal service mail carriers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Postal service mail carriers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Postal service mail carriers need more than the average amount of Operation and Control, Social Perceptiveness, and Coordination.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

Projections

Projections on job growth for Postal Service Mail Carriers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Postal Service Mail Carriers are expected to see a growth of −13.5% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−13.5%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Postal Service Mail Carriers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.