Salary mailman: Postal Service Mail Carriers

Salary of a Mailman | Work

According to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics, only about 40 percent of students enrolled in a four-year college program actually graduate, which means a whole wealth of Americans shell out for expensive classes, saddle themselves up with debt and have virtually nothing to show for it. Fortunately, not every great job needs a college degree or the debt that comes with it – and that includes being a mail carrier.

Make no mistake: Being a mail carrier isn’t a glamorous career. It’s actually very physical work, but it’s well rewarded. Not only do mail carriers have a decent salary that grows over time, the job also comes with some great benefits and a pension if you work for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Plus, you’ll get to join the ranks of fellow famous postal workers like Walt Disney, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and The Office’s Steve Carell (yes, Carell carried letters across rural America before he hit it big).

Tip

The mean USPS mailman salary is $52,180 per year, or around $25 per hour.

Mail Carrier Job Description

Most people are familiar with mail carriers as the blue-uniformed workers who deliver letters to their homes every day, but that’s just one of a mail carrier’s duties. According to the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), they’re generally responsible for:

• Sorting and preparing mail at the post office
• Loading mail and parcels into postal vehicles
• Delivering and collecting mail along their assigned routes
• Obtaining signatures for registered, certified and other signature-requested mail
• Unloading collected mail and equipment at post office
• Answering customer questions

A mail carrier may sort up to 2,700 pieces of mail a day, whether that’s letters or magazine-sized flats. Each tub of mail weighs about 25 lbs. and must be lifted onto 3-foot-high ledges. In addition, mail carriers must also lift parcels which occasionally weigh up to 70 lbs., but the physicality of the job doesn’t end there.

NALC says that mail carriers who are assigned to a walking route walk between four and 12 miles per day, lugging 35 pounds of mail on their backs. This takes around six hours of continuous walking, sometimes in extreme heat or cold. Mounted (or driving) routes are generally seen as the least physically demanding because carriers don’t regularly leave their trucks, but it still adds up. These mail carriers generally drive between 10 and 30 miles per day, walking for about one hour total.

All in all, being a mail carrier is physically demanding and not suitable for someone with health issues that prevent them from lifting heavy objects or walking and sitting for long periods of time.

Mail Carrier Industry

Though the USPS is the second-largest employer in the country, package delivery services like UPS, FedEx and DHL all use mail carriers, though federal benefits packages are generally the most competitive. All mail carriers work within post offices and mail sorting facilities (think: a UPS store or regional sorting center). They also work on residential and commercial streets, delivering mail by foot or in a delivery truck. Sometimes this requires working in inclement weather.

Mailman Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean mailman salary is $52,180 per year, but it changes based on experience and location. California has the highest-paid mail carriers with an annual mean of $54,450 and an hourly mean wage of $26.18. Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois are closely behind with mean annual salaries ranging from $52,760 to $51,760.

A mail carrier’s salary is dependent on length of employment, and USPS employees can expect raises throughout their tenure. According to the bureau, the bottom 10 percent of mail carriers make $36,990 or less per year, which is likely an entry-level wage in an area with a low cost of living. The top 10 percent make more than $65,620 per year, likely after years of experience in areas with a higher cost of living.

Mailman Benefits

Salary is only a small portion of overall mail carrier compensation. Those who are working for the USPS can expect a competitive benefits package that includes a retirement plan and federal pension. According to the USPS, mailman benefits include:

• Health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, the majority of which is paid for the Postal Service. There are a number of plans available including HMOs and Free-For-Service plans.
• Dental and vision insurance through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. Employees pay the full cost of these plans, but it’s greatly reduced because of the federal group rate.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), which can be used for out-of-pocket health care costs and dependent care
• Long-term care insurance through the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program, which goes toward nursing home and assisted living expenses that aren’t covered by health insurance or Medicare
• A retirement pension as part of the Federal Employment Retirement System
• A Thrift Savings Plan, which is essentially a 401(k) retirement savings plan that allows employees to make regular, tax-deferred payments of up to 5 percent of their annual salary
• Life insurance, which has competitive group rates through the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program. Basic coverage is fully paid for by the USPS.
• A commuter program that offers tax-free purchases of transportation and parking in line with IRS maximums
• Paid vacation and sick leave. Employees get 13 paid days annually for their first three years, 20 paid days annually after three years and 26 paid days annually after 15 years. They can also accumulate 4 hours of leave per period to use in the event of illness or accident.
• 10 paid holidays per year

If fully utilized, these mailman benefits can greatly increase a Postal Service employee’s overall annual salary.

Mail Carrier Education Requirements

Mail carriers don’t need a college education or prior experience, but those working for the USPS must pass Test 473. This test includes questions about checking addresses, completing forms, memory and day-to-day responsibilities. In addition, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent, a safe driving record and the ability to lift a maximum of 70 lbs. They must also pass a background check and physical exam.

Once on the job, mail carriers have access to various leadership and educational programs within the USPS that can help them develop their career and even prime them for graduating to an executive-level role.

Mail Carrier Job Outlook

It’s no secret that the USPS has faced financial hardship in recent years. According to The New York Times, the Postal Service lost $2.7 billion in revenue in 2018 alone. That year, the annual total pieces of mail shrunk by 63 billion from the decade prior. As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects available postal service jobs to decrease by 21 percent from 2018 to 2018, but there may be some hope.

Though less people are mailing letters and postcards in favor of texting and email, package shipping has seen a major increase thanks to the popularity of e-commerce services like Amazon. In 2018, the USPS saw an increase of 2. 2 billion packages shipped compared with the decade prior and added Sunday delivery to accommodate Amazon’s parcels.

29-year-old USPS mail carrier is on track to make over $90k

This story is part of CNBC Make It’s Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money.

As a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service, Jordan Myers typically works 13 hours a day, six days per week. Most days, he walks around 14 miles.

He delivers mail to up to 500 houses each day, he says, and because he has a walking route, he’s outside all day, regardless of the weather. “No curbside pull up, drop off,” the 29-year-old tells CNBC Make It. He walks “up steps, down steps, through bushes, across yards.”

It’s strenuous work, but you won’t ever hear him complain. In fact, many of his hours are by choice: During the business week, Myers works about five hours of overtime each day, and takes on even more on the weekends.

“Everything is mental,” he says. “If you have the mindset and the drive to do something, I feel like you can really break through a lot of barriers.”

Everything is mental. If you have the mindset and the drive to do something, I feel like you can really break through a lot of barriers.

Jordan Myers

Living in Memphis, Tennessee, Myers earns a base salary of around $41,000 per year. But with overtime, he’s able to bring in far more: In 2020, Myers earned around $78,000, and in 2021, he is on track to make over $90,000. He also brings in around $4,500 per year from a rental property.

“I don’t think of it as hard,” he says. “I think about what I can do, what I’m trying to accomplish.”

As a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service, Jordan Myers typically works 13 hours a day, six days per week. Most days, he walks around 14 miles.

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For him, that means making good money. Though it’s a lot of hours, Myers prides himself on his determination and perseverance.

Myers has worked hard for most of his life, starting his first job at age 12. Growing up, his mom struggled financially, so Myers moved in with his dad and began to work for his dad’s lawn service. “It sucked, truthfully, but it made me into who I am,” he says.

Myers’s father never complained either, regardless of the circumstances. Myers remembers his father once getting shot and still returning to work 24 hours later.

“My dad is my biggest hero,” Jordan Myers says.

Courtesy of Jordan Myers

“My dad is my biggest hero,” Myers says. “When you realize how he’s able to persevere … There’s no way I can say ‘I’m tired’ if he’s not tired. We don’t make excuses.”

Working at the USPS

Before USPS, Myers worked a number of jobs, including positions at the Apple store, Kroger, Dollar General and more, he says.

In 2017, he got a full-time job at USPS after hearing good things from relatives who worked there too. “My grandfather worked for the post office for many years. He said that if I go there, I would be able to make a decent amount of money and get a lot of hours,” Myers says.

In 2017, Jordan Myers got a full-time job at the USPS.

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Myers typically chooses to work from 8 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., sometimes 9 p.m. He usually works six days a week, but will sometimes work on Sundays as well. Though the long hours aren’t mandated by the USPS, Myers enjoys the option to do so — and earn more overtime, he says.

“The biggest thing that people don’t realize as a mail carrier is how much work you actually do,” he says. “A lot of people say it’s easy because you’re just walking and they only see you maybe five minutes here and there, every other day.”

In 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, his schedule was especially hectic. It was “endless walking, around 20 miles a day,” since there was much more mail and few carriers. At times, it was even scary, Myers says, remembering packages of medicine piling up and not enough employees to handle it all.

Even now, things are still volatile. “A lot of people are quitting due to being burnt out,” Myers says.

Despite his long days, Myers says he is still able to spend quality time with his wife, Jalyn, and 1-year-old son, Jacob. He usually gets to spend a few hours with Jacob each night after work, but says “we really play the most on Sunday.”

Despite his long days, Jordan Myers says he is still able to spend quality time with his wife, Jalyn, and 1-year-old son, Jacob.

CNBC Make It

Myers and his wife have found a balance that works for their family. “Family time is fairly decent and good,” he says. “I’m just waiting for Jacob to get older so I can destroy him in video games.”

Myers doesn’t let his demanding work schedule overtake family time. “Everybody thinks raising kids is tremendously hard. It’s more mental than anything,” he says.

How he budgets his money

Here are Myers’s monthly expenses as of October 2021.

Elham Ataeiazar | CNBC Make It

• Savings: $2,900
• Rental property: $913 for the mortgage, homeowners insurance and other expenses.
• Housing: $809 for his own mortgage and homeowners insurance.
• Car payment: $534
• Memberships: $239 for Netflix, Spotify, Tesla internet and investment group dues.
• Food: $220 for takeout during work.
• Misc.: $60 for pet expenses.
• Phone: $62
• Insurance: $41 for health, dental and vision.

Myers and Jalyn both contribute to household bills and expenses. Though Jalyn makes significantly less than Myers, she pays for child care, groceries, car insurance, Wi-Fi and utilities. Myers covers everything else.

They think of each other as equal partners, regardless of income or expenses paid. “I do bring in more money, but we’re equal because she does have to take care of [our] son more, and if she didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to work the hours I work, so I wouldn’t make the money I make,” Myers says.

Jordan Myers and his 1-year-old son, Jacob.

CNBC Make It

One of Myers’s top priorities is establishing ways to build wealth. Each month, he puts $500 into his savings account, $400 into his 401(k) and $2,000 into a taxable brokerage account through Fidelity. Currently, he has around $3,000 in savings and $34,000 in investments.

He’s also a member of an investment group led by real estate investor and YouTuber Graham Stephan, which has helped him learn about options trading and rental properties. Myers has earned up to $10,000 in a month trading options, despite its risky nature. However, he usually reinvests those earnings and doesn’t recognize any gains.

He has also dabbled in other investments like cryptocurrency. He mined Ethereum for a while, but has since stopped.

Myers has one rental property, which he bought in 2019 for about $100,000. “I am actively cash flowing from this property,” he says. He pockets about $378 per month from it after covering expenses.

In 2021, Jordan Myers bought his dream car: A Tesla Model 3.

CNBC Make It

In 2021, Myers bought his dream car: A Tesla Model 3. With used cars selling for a premium due to chip shortages, Myers was able to sell his car for about $15,484 and trade it in for the Tesla, he says. The Tesla cost about $45,000, but with his trade-in allowance, he only owed around $30,000.

Looking ahead

In five years, Myers hopes to be “halfway to being a millionaire, if not more,” he says. In 10 years, “I think I’d be well over being a millionaire.”

Myers has no doubt that he’ll be able to reach his goal. “I think I’m going to crush it, truthfully,” he says.

Myers is also saving for another rental property, which he hopes will pay for itself over time.

Myers doesn’t want to share his story to brag about his success. Rather, he wants to “help the people that are trying to learn and grow like me,” he says.

“When you see me, it’s like, ‘Hey, that guy is also just working a normal job, day to day. He’s really growing day by day, month by month, year by year. ‘ I’m hoping I can show people that it’s possible.”

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Don’t miss: This 27-year-old makes $100,000 a year and paid off her mom’s $28,000 mortgage

Salary of a postman in America – Vatnik in America

Financial and everyday educational program in the USA or FZhL No. 5
We calculate the standard of living of an American postman, that is, an ordinary hard worker.

I received a great job offer in my inbox – USPS postman for $18.51 an hour. The hourly rate usually directly correlates with the standard of living in a particular state, for example, Washington DC is a decently expensive region, compared to many other states of the country, where $15 and $10 and even $7. 5 per hour can be paid for the same work. nine0004

Requirements? Consider that they are not: 18 years old, or 16 but with completed school education, US citizenship or residency, no criminal record, drug addiction and the presence of a VU for driving a mail car. Everything. Let’s imagine that you are single, without a wife and children.

First of all, let’s calculate the gross annual salary (before taxes):
1) $18.51 * 8 hours (standard working day) * 21 days (5 day working week) * 12 months = $37 316.16

nine0002 Now, we need to calculate federal taxes according to 2021 Federal Income Tax Brackets and Rates and subtract them.
The USA has a progressive tax scale, now I will show: from $0 to $9,950 we tax 10%, and the remaining $27,366.16 we tax 12%, total:
2) $37,316.16 – $4,279 = $33,037.16

Now, we need to tax this amount with a state surcharge (although the Washington state government refuses to call it that) of 0. 58%:
3) $33,037.16 – $191.61 = $32 845.55

Postal workers in America are considered government employees, so they receive free health insurance and contributions to the pension fund under the preferential government program. In other words, we will not deduct the cost of medical insurance and pension contributions, this is a rather fat bonus from the government.

At the moment, in our state, and more specifically in the Seattle Great Area (this is Seattle itself and the cities and villages around it), namely here I am and received this flyer with the indicated hourly rate, the cost of renting a studio apartment or an apartment with 1 bedroom: ~$1,500 per month or $18,000 per year. nine0003 4) $32,845.55 – $18,000 = $14,845.55

90,002 Utilities according to statistics from Essex, a large local landlord, averages ~$180 per month or $2,160 per year (this includes electricity, water, sewer, garbage collection and internet).
5) $14,845. 55 – $2,160 = $12,685.55

Eating 1 adult, according to my household accounting, costs about ~$550 or $6,600 per year.
6) $12,685.55 – $6,600 = $6,085.55

nine0002 Mobile phone and communication, we assume that you have borrowed a mobile phone along with a pre-set tariff (the most popular format in the US), the average bill is as much as $70 or $840 per year.
7) $6,085.55 – $840 = $5,245.55

Clothes and shoes, taking into account their seasonality, wear and tear and wardrobe renewal, 1 person spends on average, according to various estimates, from $90 to $120 per month, averaging up to $110, we get $1,320 per year.
8) $5,245.55 – $1,320 = $3,925.55

And so, we covered our basic needs, working as a postman in the USA and we can even put aside almost 4 thousand per year … However! For example, in the state it is almost impossible to move around without a car, there are long distances, so we need at least a used car, but on the move, this is 4-5 thousand bucks, about 200 bucks a month for insurance and gasoline (gasoline in The US has gone up a lot this year), so you’ll have to say goodbye to your savings and save a lot less in the coming years. nine0004

Summing up, what conclusions do we draw?
Will you close your basic needs of a modern person by working as a postman in the USA? – Yes.
Can you afford to eat a little better, buy some new household appliances? – on credit Yes, subject to reasonable use of this tool.
Can you afford a car? – rather no than yes.
Will you be able to save something in order to save up for your own housing within a reasonable time frame? nine0011 – No.
Can you support someone else with this money? – No.

If you’re thinking about moving to the US without a career and a good education behind you, then all you can do here is cover your basic needs. If you value yourself this way and call it the American dream

– please.

• money
• taxes
• work in the usa

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Postman salary in the United States of America

07/16/2020

According to official sources, recently there has been a slight decline in employment in the postal service in the United States.