Postal Service Clerks
What Postal Service Clerks Do
Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 3.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Sales and Marketingimportance 3.0/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.0/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.0/5
- Transportationimportance 3.0/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Contact With Others4.6/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4/5
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.4/5
- Spend Time Standing4.3/5
- Physical Proximity4.3/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Flight Attendants96% skill match
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators95% skill match
- Waiters and Waitresses94% skill match
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers94% skill match
- Bartenders94% skill match
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners94% skill match
- Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners94% skill match
- Funeral Home Managers94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.8/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.6/5
- Negotiationimportance 2.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Budgeting software
- Delivery operations information system DOIS
- Electronic Time Clock ETC
- Inventory tracking software
- NCR Advanced Store
- Time and Attendance Collection System TACS
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Cautiousness
- Self-Control
- Social Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- RealisticMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where postal service clerks make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Beckley, WV4.36× national avg
- 2Kingston, NY4.17× national avg
- 3Barnstable Town, MA3.36× national avg
- 4Wichita, KS3.27× national avg
- 5Watertown-Fort Drum, NY3.06× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Order ClerksLateral Move
- TellersLateral Move
- Flight AttendantsCareer Change
- BartendersCareer Change