Postal Service Workers

Postal Service Workers Earnings

Median annual earnings of postal mail carriers were $39,530 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $36,020 and $43,040. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $31,180, while the top 10 percent earned over $47,500. Rural mail carriers are reimbursed for mileage put on their own vehicles while delivering mail.

Median annual earnings of Postal Service clerks were $39,700 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $37,160 and $42,230. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $35,640, while the top 10 percent earned more than $43,750.

Median annual earnings of mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators were $38,150 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $30,140 and $41,450. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $21,680, while the top 10 percent earned more than $43,430.

Postal Service workers enjoy a variety of employer-provided benefits similar to those enjoyed by Federal Government workers. The American Postal Workers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association together represent most of these workers.

Postal Service Workers Nature of Work

Each week, the U.S. Postal Service delivers billions of pieces of mail, including letters, bills, advertisements, and packages. To do this in an efficient and timely manner, the Postal Service employs about 845,000 individuals. Most Postal Service workers are clerks, mail carriers, or mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators. Postal clerks wait on customers at post offices, whereas mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators sort incoming and outgoing mail at post offices and mail processing centers. Mail carriers deliver mail to urban and rural residences and businesses throughout the United States.

Postal service clerks, also known as window clerks, sell stamps, money orders, postal stationary, and mailing envelopes and boxes. They also weigh packages to determine postage and check that packages are in satisfactory condition for mailing. These clerks register, certify, and insure mail and answer questions about postage rates, post office boxes, mailing restrictions, and other postal matters. Window clerks also help customers file claims for damaged packages.

Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. These workers are commonly referred to as mail handlers, distribution clerks, mail processors, or mail processing clerks. They load and unload postal trucks and move mail around a mail processing center with forklifts, small electric tractors, or hand-pushed carts. They also load and operate mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery.

Postal service mail carriers deliver mail, once it has been processed and sorted. Although carriers are classified by their type of route—either city or rural—duties of city and rural carriers are similar. Most travel established routes, delivering and collecting mail. Mail carriers start work at the post office early in the morning, when they arrange the mail in delivery sequence. Automated equipment has reduced the time that carriers need to sort the mail, allowing them to spend more time delivering it.

Mail carriers cover their routes on foot, by vehicle, or a combination of both. On foot, they carry a heavy load of mail in a satchel or push it on a cart. In most urban and rural areas, they use a car or small truck. Although the Postal Service provides vehicles to city carriers, most rural carriers must use their own automobiles. Deliveries are made house-to-house, to roadside mailboxes, and to large buildings such as offices or apartments, which generally have all of their tenantsÕ mailboxes in one location.

Besides delivering and collecting mail, carriers collect money for postage-due and COD (cash-on-delivery) fees and obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail. If a customer is not home, the carrier leaves a notice that tells where special mail is being held. After completing their routes, carriers return to the post office with mail gathered from street collection boxes, homes, and businesses and turn in the mail, receipts, and money collected during the day.

Some city carriers may have specialized duties such as delivering only parcels or picking up mail from mail collection boxes. In contrast to city carriers, rural carriers provide a wider range of postal services, in addition to delivering and picking up mail. For example, rural carriers may sell stamps and money orders and register, certify, and insure parcels and letters. All carriers, however, must be able to answer customersÕ questions about postal regulations and services and provide change-of-address cards and other postal forms when requested.

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Postal Service Workers Job Outlook

Employment of Postal Service workers is expected to decline through 2012. Still, many jobs will become available because of the need to replace those who retire or leave the occupation. Those seeking jobs as Postal Service workers can expect to encounter keen competition. The number of applicants should continue to exceed the number of job openings due to low entry requirements and attractive wages and benefits.

A small decline in employment is expected among window clerks over the 2002-12 projection period. Efforts by the Postal Service to provide better service may somewhat increase the demand for window clerks, but the demand for such clerks will be offset by the use of electronic communications technologies and private delivery companies. Employment of mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators is expected to decline because of the increasing use of automated materials handling equipment and optical character readers, barcode sorters, and other automated sorting equipment.

Several factors are expected to influence demand for mail carriers. The competition from alternative delivery systems and new forms of electronic communication could decrease the total volume of mail handled. Most of the decrease is expected to consist of first-class mail. The Postal Service expects an increase in package deliveries due to the rising number of purchases made through the Internet. Although total mail volume may decrease, the number of addresses to which mail must be delivered will continue to grow. However, increased use of the "delivery point sequencingÓ system, which allows machines to sort mail directly by the order of delivery, should reduce the amount of time that carriers spend sorting their mail, allowing them more time to handle longer routes. In addition, the Postal Service is moving toward more centralized mail delivery, such as the use of cluster boxes, to cut down on the number of door-to-door deliveries. These trends are expected to increase carrier productivity, resulting in a small decline in employment among mail carriers over the projection period. The increasing number of delivery points may result in greater demand for rural mail carriers than for city mail carriers, as much of the increase in delivery points will be seen in less urbanized areas.

Currently, the role of the Postal Service as a government-approved monopoly is a topic of debate. Any legislative changes that would privatize or deregulate the Postal Service might affect employment of all its workers. Employment and schedules in the Postal Service fluctuate with the demand for its services. When mail volume is high, full-time workers work overtime, part-time workers get additional hours, and casual workers may be hired. When mail volume is low, overtime is curtailed, part-timers work fewer hours, and casual workers are discharged.

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Postal Service Workers Significant Points

Postal Service Workers Training

Postal Service workers must be at least 18 years old. citizens or have been granted permanent resident-alien status in the United States, and males must have registered with the Selective Service upon reaching age 18. Applicants should have a basic competency of English. Qualification is based on a written examination that measures speed and accuracy at checking names and numbers and the ability to memorize mail distribution procedures. Applicants must pass a physical examination and drug test, and may be asked to show that they can lift and handle mail sacks weighing 70 pounds. Applicants for mail carrier positions must have a driverÕs license and a good driving record, and must receive a passing grade on a road test.

Jobseekers should contact the post office or mail processing center where they wish to work to determine when an exam will be given. ApplicantsÕ names are listed in order of their examination scores. Five points are added to the score of an honorably discharged veteran and 10 points are added to the score of a veteran who was wounded in combat or is disabled. When a vacancy occurs, the appointing officer chooses one of the top three applicants; the rest of the names remain on the list to be considered for future openings until their eligibility expires—usually 2 years after the examination date.

Relatively few people become postal clerks or mail carriers on their first job, because of keen competition and the customary waiting period of 1 to 2 years or more after passing the examination. It is not surprising, therefore, that most entrants transfer from other occupations.

New Postal Service workers are trained on the job by experienced workers. Many post offices offer classroom instruction on safety and defensive driving. Workers receive additional instruction when new equipment or procedures are introduced. In these cases, workers usually are trained by another postal employee or a training specialist.

Postal clerks and mail carriers should be courteous and tactful when dealing with the public, especially when answering questions or receiving complaints. A good memory and the ability to read rapidly and accurately are important. Good interpersonal skills also are vital, because mail distribution clerks work closely with other postal workers, frequently under the tension and strain of meeting dispatch or transportation deadlines and quotas.

Postal Service workers often begin on a part-time, flexible basis and become regular or full time in order of seniority, as vacancies occur. Full-time workers may bid for preferred assignments, such as the day shift or a high-level nonsupervisory position. Carriers can look forward to obtaining preferred routes as their seniority increases. Postal Service workers can advance to supervisory positions on a competitive basis.

Postal Service Workers Employment

Postal Service Workers Related Occupations

Other occupations with duties similar to those of postal clerks include cashiers; counter and rental clerks; file clerks; and shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks. Others with duties related to those of mail carriers include couriers and messengers, and truck drivers and driver/sales workers. Occupations whose duties are related to those of mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators include inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers, and material moving occupations.

Postal Service Workers Additional Sources

Local post offices and State employment service offices can supply details about entrance examinations and specific employment opportunities for Postal Service workers.

Postal Service Workers Summaries of Related Webpages

The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object. For example, a person can become a general office clerk even if he/she has never worked in an office before. Job Training Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas.
Summary of: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/43-5052.00

This web sites includes job descriptions, salary schedules, benefits, and articles about postal mail clerks and mail carriers. Postal Service, Federal government, and private sector. For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to postal employment, click here. For Info on Postal entrance exams, click here. For other resources, see the Table of Contents.
Summary of: http://www.2mailclerksandcarriers.com/

To do this, it employs about 691,723 workers. Almost 5 out of 10 of these workers are postal clerks, who sort mail and serve customers in post offices, or mail carriers, who deliver the mail. Clerks are usually classified by the mail processing function they perform, whereas carriers are classified by their type of route; city or rural. They are taken to other workrooms to be sorted according to destination. Postal clerks and mail carriers are classified as casual, part-time flexible, part-time regular, or full time.
Summary of: http://federaljobs.net/psclerks.htm

Postal Service receives, sorts, and delivers millions of letters, bills, advertisements, and packages. To do this, it employs about 818,000 workers. Almost 6 out of 10 of these workers are either postal clerks, who sort mail and serve customers in post offices, or mail carriers, who deliver the mail. Clerks are usually classified by the mail processing function they perform, whereas carriers are classified by their type of route-city or rural. Recently, automated equipment has begun to be used to sort most of the mail for city and rural carriers, allowing them to spend less time sorting and more time delivering mail.
Summary of: http://www2.jobtrak.com/help_manuals/outlook/ocos141.html

Bernadette Cruz of the American Veterinary Medical Association said, "A dog that attacks is very often the family pet. Reducing dog bites requires responsible pet ownership.
Summary of: http://www.millelacscountytimes.com/2005/May/18postal.html

Postal Service is expected to shrink due to declining mail volume and increasing automation. To do this in an efficient and timely manner, the Postal Service employs about 845,000 individuals. Most Postal Service workers are clerks, mail carriers, or mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators. Mail carriers cover their routes on foot, by vehicle, or a combination of both. Although the Postal Service provides vehicles to city carriers, most rural carriers must use their own automobiles.
Summary of: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos141.htm

So far as he can determine, he is the oldest active mail carrier in the nation. Postal Service May 12 over use by the Service of the Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS) for route adjustments. Nationwide, more than 33,000 delivery units deliver mail on over 240,000 routes to service the more than 141 million delivery addresses. While the scanning devices may consist of several designs, the components of the devices will be consistent, the USPS says. Currently, the USPS has sorting equipment to sort letter mail to full DPS level and flat mail to zone and carrier level.
Summary of: http://www.lunewsviews.com/delivery.htm

He also said dog owners should not assume some of their protective measures are enough. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite.
Summary of: http://www.columbustelegram.com/articles/2005/06/01/news/news4.txt

I don't know why the mail is not delivered," said Oriole Lane resident Florncio Ortega. If it is unsafe to deliver, then we don't deliver," said Paul Glatfelter, Apple Valley's acting postmaster. Many neighborhoods built along dirt roads don't get house-to-house mail delivery. The Postal Service does not keep a map of locations where mail is not deliverable, Glatfelter said. "It is unreasonable to ask the carriers to drive through dangerous situations," Glatfelter said.
Summary of: http://www.desertdispatch.com/2004/110234219411996.html

Postal Service delivers billions of pieces of mail, including letters, bills, advertisements, and packages. To do this in an efficient and timely manner, the Postal Service employs about 900,000 individuals, almost two-thirds of whom are postal clerks or mail carriers. Those who work as window or counter clerks, for example, sell stamps, money orders, postal stationary, and mailing envelopes and boxes. Mail carriers cover their routes on foot, by vehicle, or a combination of both. These workers are usually on their feet, reaching for sacks and trays of mail or placing packages and bundles into sacks and trays.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20002001/307.htm

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