Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in the U.S.
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in the U.S. earn a median of $39,280 a year ($18.89 an hour), based on BLS data for 55,230 workers.
Pay ranges from $30,780 for the lowest-paid 10% to $54,820 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $41,650, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $30,780 | $14.80 |
| 25th percentile | $35,470 | $17.05 |
| Median | $39,280 | $18.89 |
| 75th percentile | $46,450 | $22.33 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $54,820 | $26.36 |
| Average (mean) | $41,650 | $20.03 |
Half of mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $3,273.33 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,636.67 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,510.77 |
| Weekly | $755.38 |
| Hourly | $18.89 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $49,240 | 310 |
| Massachusetts | $48,860 | 1,050 |
| Washington | $46,380 | 1,360 |
| Vermont | $45,380 | 120 |
| Utah | $45,150 | 460 |
| Minnesota | $44,840 | 1,170 |
| Maine | $44,780 | 160 |
| California | $44,410 | 4,710 |
| Connecticut | $43,970 | 680 |
| New Jersey | $43,700 | 2,210 |
| Oregon | $43,450 | 370 |
| Colorado | $43,430 | 880 |
| New York | $42,020 | 5,990 |
| New Hampshire | $41,060 | 280 |
| Nevada | $40,520 | 420 |
| Maryland | $40,280 | 1,580 |
| Nebraska | $40,080 | 240 |
| New Mexico | $40,080 | 100 |
| Idaho | $39,890 | 110 |
| Florida | $39,300 | 2,470 |
| Montana | $38,880 | 180 |
| Indiana | $38,490 | 1,310 |
| Ohio | $38,470 | 2,210 |
| Texas | $38,470 | 3,250 |
| Rhode Island | $38,330 | 310 |
| Hawaii | $38,270 | 200 |
| Arizona | $38,260 | 810 |
| Illinois | $38,190 | 3,150 |
| North Dakota | $38,120 | 110 |
| Missouri | $38,110 | 1,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,980 | 2,810 |
| Arkansas | $37,940 | 330 |
| Kentucky | $37,890 | 530 |
| North Carolina | $37,830 | 1,280 |
| Wisconsin | $37,730 | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $37,580 | 320 |
| Michigan | $36,900 | 1,660 |
| South Carolina | $36,780 | 580 |
| Virginia | $36,780 | 1,610 |
| Oklahoma | $36,680 | 810 |
| Delaware | $36,450 | 630 |
| Alabama | $36,190 | 470 |
| Georgia | $36,110 | 1,850 |
| Kansas | $36,020 | 750 |
| Iowa | $35,610 | 830 |
| Tennessee | $35,610 | 760 |
| West Virginia | $35,140 | 270 |
| Louisiana | $34,860 | 590 |
| Mississippi | $34,350 | 270 |
| Wyoming | $32,940 | 90 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,560 | 160 |
Best-paying metro areas for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MA | $51,490 | 60 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $49,520 | 170 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $49,270 | 910 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $48,430 | 30 |
| Salem, OR | $48,420 | 70 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $48,120 | 310 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $48,050 | 330 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $47,500 | 820 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $47,430 | 620 |
| Mankato, MN | $47,050 | 40 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $47,050 | 60 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,930 | 370 |
| Worcester, MA | $46,290 | 80 |
| Reno, NV | $46,230 | 40 |
| New Haven, CT | $45,710 | 80 |
Metro areas with the most mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 5,150 | $44,220 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,380 | $38,570 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,820 | $38,520 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,800 | $43,540 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,540 | $41,760 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,360 | $38,100 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,230 | $38,630 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 910 | $49,270 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 900 | $36,900 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 880 | $44,840 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 820 | $47,500 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 720 | $38,010 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 700 | $41,800 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 670 | $43,430 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 630 | $37,730 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Office Clerks, General | $45,010 | $21.64 |
| Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | $49,230 | $23.67 |
| Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | $45,670 | $21.96 |
| Data Entry Keyer | $41,340 | $19.88 |
| Word Processors and Typists | $49,280 | $23.69 |
| Office Machine Operators, Except Computer | $40,960 | $19.69 |
| Statistical Assistant | $50,330 | $24.20 |
| Proofreaders and Copy Markers | $51,120 | $24.58 |
| Desktop Publisher | $55,290 | $26.58 |
| Customer Service Representative | $44,770 | $21.53 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 | $22.86 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,500 | $33.41 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $50,670 | $24.36 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $45,930 | $22.08 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-9051. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service make in the U.S.?
The median salary for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service in the U.S. is $39,280 a year, or $18.89 an hour. Pay ranges from $30,780 for the lowest-paid 10% to $54,820 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service in the U.S. earn at least $54,820 a year. The top 25% earn $46,450 or more.
What is the starting pay for mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $30,780 a year, and a quarter of mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service earn $35,470 or less.
How many mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service work in the U.S.?
About 55,230 mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.