What Does a Mail Carrier Do?
Carrying mail is a workout that lasts all day. Mail carriers deliver letters, packages, prescriptions and ballots to every address on a city or rural route for the Postal Service, in rain, heat or snow. Universities with big campuses sometimes run their own mail routes.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as City Carrier, City Carrier Assistant (CCA), City Letter Carrier, City Mail Carrier, Letter Carrier, Rural Carrier, Rural Carrier Associate (RCA), Rural Mail Carrier.
Mail Carrier Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a mail carrier include:
- Sort letters and large envelopes into delivery order before leaving the station.
- Load parcels in route order so each stop's packages are within easy reach.
- Deliver mail and packages on foot or by vehicle along a set city or rural route.
- Scan every package and record delivery exceptions on a handheld scanner.
- Collect outgoing mail from boxes, homes and businesses along the route.
- Obtain signatures for certified, registered and insured items, and leave notices when nobody is home.
- Watch for dogs, ice, traffic and unsafe steps, and report hazards on the route.
- Hold, forward or return mail according to customer requests and address changes.
- Answer customer questions about postage, holds and missing items politely at the door.
- Check the delivery vehicle's brakes, lights and tires before each trip and report defects.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a mail carrier, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Valid driver's license and a safe driving record
- Stamina for walking and lifting in all weather
- Accuracy with addresses and scanning
- Good sense of direction and memory for a route
- Courtesy with customers
- Ability to pass a background check and drug screen
- Independence and self-pacing
- Knowing how to handle loose or aggressive dogs
Education and Training
An entrance exam, a background check and a drug screen come before any Postal Service offer. You do not need a diploma. Substitute and assistant jobs are where new carriers normally begin, learning routes on the job until a regular one opens up.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $48,940 - $81,000 per year, with a median of $60,550.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Postal Service Mail Carriers.
BLS projects employment of postal service mail carriers to dip about 0.3 percent from 2025 to 2035, which is essentially flat. Openings are another matter: BLS expects about 19,600 a year, mostly to replace carriers who retire or leave. The busiest weeks are the ones before Christmas, when parcel volume peaks and many new hires get their start.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Postal service mail carriers.
Mail Carrier Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $42,390 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $48,940 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $60,550 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $81,000 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $81,040 |
Highest-Paying States for Mail Carriers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($64,250), Rhode Island ($63,610), Arizona ($62,390), California ($62,090), Illinois ($62,070). Pay is lowest in West Virginia ($57,700), Alabama ($57,700), Mississippi ($57,470).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,700 |
| Alaska | $59,880 |
| Arizona | $62,390 |
| Arkansas | $59,700 |
| California | $62,090 |
| Colorado | $59,880 |
| Connecticut | $61,130 |
| Delaware | $59,880 |
| District of Columbia | $64,250 |
| Florida | $61,130 |
| Georgia | $57,700 |
| Hawaii | $59,880 |
| Idaho | $57,820 |
| Illinois | $62,070 |
| Indiana | $59,880 |
| Iowa | $59,880 |
| Kansas | $58,540 |
| Kentucky | $58,910 |
| Louisiana | $58,910 |
| Maine | $59,010 |
| Maryland | $62,070 |
| Massachusetts | $62,070 |
| Michigan | $59,880 |
| Minnesota | $59,990 |
| Mississippi | $57,470 |
| Missouri | $59,880 |
| Montana | $59,010 |
| Nebraska | $59,880 |
| Nevada | $62,070 |
| New Hampshire | $59,990 |
| New Jersey | $61,130 |
| New Mexico | $59,880 |
| New York | $62,070 |
| North Carolina | $59,990 |
| North Dakota | $59,010 |
| Ohio | $61,130 |
| Oklahoma | $59,880 |
| Oregon | $59,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,880 |
| Rhode Island | $63,610 |
| South Carolina | $57,700 |
| South Dakota | $60,760 |
| Tennessee | $58,570 |
| Texas | $60,550 |
| Utah | $59,880 |
| Vermont | $59,010 |
| Virginia | $62,070 |
| Washington | $59,990 |
| West Virginia | $57,700 |
| Wisconsin | $59,880 |
| Wyoming | $59,880 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as postal service mail carriers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 91% work outdoors in all kinds of weather every day
- 85% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 77% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 74% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 62% work against deadlines every day
- 47% spend more than half the workday on their feet
- 43% usually work more than 40 hours a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 78% |
| Less than high school | 15% |
| Some college | 7% |
Tools and Software Mail Carriers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Time Management, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Sales and Marketing, Transportation.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Mail Carrier Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 43-5052.00 (Postal Service Mail Carriers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.