Postal Service Mail Carriers
What Postal Service Mail Carriers Do
Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers 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 4.3/5
- English Languageimportance 3.3/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.2/5
- Sales and Marketingimportance 3.1/5
- Transportationimportance 3.0/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.7/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.9/5
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.8/5
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.3/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.2/5
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.
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys90% skill match
- Funeral Attendants87% skill match
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products85% skill match
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage85% skill match
- Cooks, Fast Food84% skill match
- Driver/Sales Workers84% skill match
- Couriers and Messengers84% skill match
- Security Guards84% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.8/5
- Service Orientationimportance 2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.6/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.3/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.3/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Address Management System AMS
- Automated Data Collection System ADCS
- Delivery Routing System DRS
- Delivery operations information system DOIS
- Electronic Time Clock ETC
- End of Run Report EOR
- 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
- Perseverance
- Cooperation
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
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 mail carriers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Jacksonville, NC2.20× national avg
- 2Sebring, FL2.17× national avg
- 3Gadsden, AL1.99× national avg
- 4Sumter, SC1.90× national avg
- 5Homosassa Springs, FL1.81× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Couriers and MessengersLateral Move
- Driver/Sales WorkersCareer Change
- Parking AttendantsCareer Change
- Funeral AttendantsCareer Change
See the full career path from Postal Service Mail Carriers →