Home › Office and Administrative Support Occupations › Postal Service Mail Carrier

Postal Service Mail Carrier salary in the U.S.

Postal Service Mail Carriers in the U.S. earn a median of $60,550 a year ($29.11 an hour), based on BLS data for 328,820 workers.

Median salary
$60,550
Hourly
$29.11
Average
$62,540
Top 10% earn
$81,040
Workers
328,820

Pay ranges from $42,390 for the lowest-paid 10% to $81,040 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $62,540, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.

Pay range for postal service mail carriers in the U.S.

$0$90,000
Pay levelYearlyHourly
10th percentile (entry level)$42,390$20.38
25th percentile$48,940$23.53
Median$60,550$29.11
75th percentile$81,000$38.94
90th percentile (top earners)$81,040$38.96
Average (mean)$62,540$30.07

Half of postal service mail carriers 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 periodAmount
Monthly$5,045.83
Semi-monthly (24 a year)$2,522.92
Biweekly (26 a year)$2,328.85
Weekly$1,164.42
Hourly$29.11

Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.

Postal Service Mail Carrier salary by state

StateMedian salaryWorkers
District of Columbia$64,250930
Rhode Island$63,6101,220
Arizona$62,3905,300
California$62,09032,320
Illinois$62,07014,730
Maryland$62,0706,420
Massachusetts$62,0707,630
Nevada$62,0702,530
New York$62,07020,580
Virginia$62,0707,900
Connecticut$61,1304,510
Florida$61,13020,810
New Jersey$61,13010,160
Ohio$61,13012,680
South Dakota$60,760850
Texas$60,55026,700
Minnesota$59,9905,890
New Hampshire$59,9901,560
North Carolina$59,99011,030
Washington$59,9906,550
Alaska$59,880450
Colorado$59,8805,100
Delaware$59,8801,130
Hawaii$59,8801,200
Indiana$59,8806,910
Iowa$59,8803,730
Michigan$59,88011,610
Missouri$59,8807,260
Nebraska$59,8802,150
New Mexico$59,8801,570
Oklahoma$59,8804,130
Pennsylvania$59,88013,900
Utah$59,8802,460
Wisconsin$59,8806,470
Wyoming$59,880430
Arkansas$59,7003,030
Oregon$59,4003,760
Maine$59,0101,510
Montana$59,010830
North Dakota$59,010800
Vermont$59,010690
Kentucky$58,9104,640
Louisiana$58,9105,090
Tennessee$58,5707,310
Kansas$58,5403,310
Idaho$57,8201,660
Alabama$57,7005,840
Georgia$57,70010,790
South Carolina$57,7005,650
West Virginia$57,7001,850
Puerto Rico$57,7001,240
Mississippi$57,4703,290
Guam$56,08040
Virgin Islands$55,49040

Best-paying metro areas for postal service mail carriers

Metro areaMedian salaryWorkers
Lawrence, KS$70,530100
Bay City, MI$68,640120
Enid, OK$68,64060
Bozeman, MT$68,06060
Napa, CA$67,140130
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$66,440670
Iowa City, IA$64,890150
Naples-Marco Island, FL$64,460400
Bloomington, IN$64,250190
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$64,250690
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$64,25010,940
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$64,250540
Merced, CA$64,250200
Missoula, MT$64,250100
New Orleans-Metairie, LA$64,2501,120

Metro areas with the most postal service mail carriers

Metro areaWorkersMedian salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ20,280$62,070
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA10,940$64,250
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN10,320$63,750
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX7,100$62,070
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX6,660$62,070
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD6,560$61,480
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV6,250$64,250
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL5,720$62,070
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA5,690$59,400
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH5,430$62,090
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI5,390$62,070
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA4,730$64,250
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ3,630$64,250
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI3,560$61,480
St. Louis, MO-IL3,450$62,070

Related jobs in the U.S.

JobMedian salaryHourly
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$45,260$21.76
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks$59,650$28.68
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance$50,340$24.20
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators$58,470$28.11
Public Safety Telecommunicator$53,040$25.50
Cargo and Freight Agents$52,260$25.13
Postal Service Clerk$62,130$29.87
Couriers and Messengers$39,200$18.85
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping$46,380$22.30
Meter Readers, Utilities$48,150$23.15
Customer Service Representative$44,770$21.53
Office Clerks, General$45,010$21.64
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

More: Office and Administrative Support Occupations

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-5052. 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 postal service mail carrier make in the U.S.?

The median salary for postal service mail carriers in the U.S. is $60,550 a year, or $29.11 an hour. Pay ranges from $42,390 for the lowest-paid 10% to $81,040 for the top 10%.

How much do the highest-paid postal service mail carriers make in the U.S.?

The top 10% of postal service mail carriers in the U.S. earn at least $81,040 a year. The top 25% earn $81,000 or more.

What is the starting pay for postal service mail carriers in the U.S.?

Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $42,390 a year, and a quarter of postal service mail carriers earn $48,940 or less.

How many postal service mail carriers work in the U.S.?

About 328,820 postal service mail carriers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.