Mail Clerk Job Description

Salary Range

$35,470 - $46,450

Experience

Entry-level

Work Environment

Mailroom, with delivery routes

What Does a Mail Clerk Do?

As long as offices trade contracts, checks and parcels, mail clerks will be needed to get each one to the right desk. They work in college mailrooms, hospitals and corporate mail centers, sorting, metering and delivering everything from interoffice envelopes to signed-for packages.

Also known as: Postal Services Assistant, Lead Mail Clerk

Other Job Titles for This Work

Workers in this occupation report titles such as Insert Operator, Inserter Operator, Mail Handler, Mail Machine Operator, Mail Processor, Mail Reader, Mail Sorter, Postal Clerk.

Mail Clerk Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a mail clerk include:

• Sort incoming mail and packages by building, department and person, including misaddressed items.
• Deliver and collect mail on a set route by cart, van or on foot.
• Weigh outgoing letters and parcels and apply postage with a mailing machine.
• Scan tracked packages on arrival and get a signature or photo at delivery.
• Fill student or tenant mailboxes and send notices when parcels are waiting.
• Prepare bulk and presorted mailings to USPS requirements for postage discounts.
• Forward mail for people who have moved, left or changed departments.
• Load and unload delivery trucks, moving heavy boxes with carts and safe lifting technique.
• Screen suspicious letters and packages under the mailroom's safety procedure and report concerns.
• Keep postage, delivery and accountable-mail logs accurate for each shift.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a mail clerk, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• Mailing machines such as Pitney Bowes or Quadient
• Package-tracking scanners and delivery apps
• USPS mail classes and addressing rules
• Driver's license, for routes that use a van
• Stamina for walking, lifting and standing most of the day
• Reliability on a fixed daily schedule
• Care with confidential and accountable mail
• Friendly manner with staff and students

Education and Training

Experience in a warehouse, a store stockroom or any delivery job could lead to a mailroom post. Any applicant can say they are careful, so a reference from a job where accuracy and punctuality were checked counts for more. A high school diploma and a short spell of on-the-job training are typical, according to BLS. Lead clerk and mail services supervisor are the usual next steps.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to BLS, employment of mail clerks and mail machine operators outside the Postal Service is projected to fall about 7 percent for the decade ending in 2035. Package volume keeps mailrooms busy even as letter mail shrinks. BLS expects roughly 4,700 openings a year.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service.

Mail Clerk Pay Range

Highest-Paying States for Mail Clerks

The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($49,240), Massachusetts ($48,860), Washington ($46,380), Vermont ($45,380), Utah ($45,150). Pay is lowest in Louisiana ($34,860), Mississippi ($34,350), Wyoming ($32,940).

What the Work Is Like

O*NET surveys people who work as mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:

• 99% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
• 89% are on the phone every day
• 89% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
• 86% use email every day
• 79% spend more than half the workday on their feet
• 73% work against deadlines every day
• 73% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week

Education Workers Say the Job Needs

Tools and Software Mail Clerks Use

Tools and equipment

• 10-key calculators
• Automated filing systems
• Automatic envelope opening machines
• Automatic envelope sealing machines
• Computer data input scanners
• Computer inkjet printers
• Copy machines
• Date stampers
• Digital duplicating machines
• Electronic cash registers

Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Adobe Acrobat
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Windows
• Email software
• Financial accounting software
• Postal Explorer
• Recordkeeping 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: Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Time Management, Active Listening.

Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics, Law and Government, Education and Training.

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:

• Materials Supply Storekeeper job description
• Stock Inventory Assistant job description
• Inventory Specialist job description
• Shipping Clerk job description
• Receiving Clerk job description
• Property Control Specialist job description
• Mail Carrier job description
• Courier job description

Applying for a Mail Clerk Job

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