The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent government organization linked to the United States Executive branch. Learn more about the USPS salary below.
USPS employees (also known as postal workers) are considered federal employees. The USPS currently generates its own revenue through its mail carrier and retail services.
Summary: Find out how much postal workers make. To start preparing for the exam you will have to take to become a postal worker, take our free postal practice test.
How Much Do Postal Workers Make?
The USPS employs temporary, permanent, part-time and full-time postal workers. A postal worker salary depends upon their exact position, their experience, and their educational backgrounds.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are more than 500,000 postal workers employed. The BLS also reports the following salary statistics for USPS workers:
Average Annual Postal Worker Salary – $51,730, which translates to $24.87 per hour.
Average Annual Mail Carrier Salary – $52,440, which translates to $25.21 per hour
Average Annual Clerk Salary – $52,290, which translates to $26.15 per hour
Average Annual Mail Sorter, Processor, and Machine Operator Salary – $48,550, which translates to $23.34 per hour
USPS Salary Percentiles
As with any job, there will be different percentiles of pay. These percentiles can be based on how long you have worked at the post office or how well you perform your job.
10th Percentile = $37,000
50th Percentile = $51,730
90th Percentile = $64,000
USPS Pay Scale
Many USPS workers are members of a union, which provides a pay scale that the USPS follows. The APWU represents over 200,000 current and retired USPS workers in the Clerk, Maintenance, Motor Vehicle Services, or Support Services divisions.
According to the APWU, their members receive pay according to the following pay scale.
| Pay Grade | Starting Pay Step | Ending Pay Step |
| 3 | $40,335 | $68,319 |
| 4 | $41,748 | $69,348 |
| 5 | $48,809 | $70,449 |
| 6 | $51,196 | $71,636 |
| 7 | $53,656 | $72,956 |
| 8 | $60,409 | $75,334 |
| 9 | $67,704 | $76,632 |
| 10 | $71,376 | $81,984 |
| 11 | $74,118 | $86,046 |
USPS Starting Pay
According to the APWU, the starting pay for a postal worker is:
Annual Postal Worker Starting Salary – $40,335, which translates to $19.39 per hour.
USPS Salary Summary
There are many factors that affect how much postal workers make, including:
- Experience
- Job Type
- Location
- Union Membership
In general, the following observations about USPS salaries can be made:
USPS Starting Salary – about $40,335 per year
Postal Worker’s Average Pay – about $51,730 per year
Highest Post Office Salary – about $86,000 per year
