Postal Service Mail Carriers
Also called: City Letter Carrier, Letter Carrier, Mail Carrier, Rural Carrier Associate (RCA)Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 10 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.3% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,700 | $42,390 to $76,960 | 5,840 |
| Alaska | $59,880 | $52,520 to $73,010 | 450 |
| Arizona | $62,390 | $49,960 to $81,040 | 5,300 |
| Arkansas | $59,700 | $43,120 to $78,520 | 3,030 |
| California | $62,090 | $51,130 to $81,040 | 32,320 |
| Colorado | $59,880 | $51,130 to $76,770 | 5,100 |
| Connecticut | $61,130 | $48,940 to $81,040 | 4,510 |
| Delaware | $59,880 | $46,510 to $81,000 | 1,130 |
| District of Columbia | $64,250 | $51,130 to $81,040 | 930 |
| Florida | $61,130 | $48,940 to $81,000 | 20,810 |
| Georgia | $57,700 | $42,390 to $76,960 | 10,790 |
| Guam | $56,080 | $52,210 to $70,450 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $59,880 | $52,520 to $81,040 | 1,200 |
| Idaho | $57,820 | $43,120 to $75,190 | 1,660 |
| Illinois | $62,070 | $51,110 to $81,040 | 14,730 |
| Indiana | $59,880 | $48,940 to $77,290 | 6,910 |
| Iowa | $59,880 | $48,940 to $75,440 | 3,730 |
| Kansas | $58,540 | $48,940 to $76,960 | 3,310 |
| Kentucky | $58,910 | $44,160 to $76,960 | 4,640 |
| Louisiana | $58,910 | $44,160 to $78,460 | 5,090 |
| Maine | $59,010 | $51,110 to $76,770 | 1,510 |
| Maryland | $62,070 | $49,960 to $81,040 | 6,420 |
| Massachusetts | $62,070 | $52,190 to $81,040 | 7,630 |
| Michigan | $59,880 | $48,940 to $79,580 | 11,610 |
| Minnesota | $59,990 | $51,130 to $76,770 | 5,890 |
| Mississippi | $57,470 | $42,390 to $75,820 | 3,290 |
| Missouri | $59,880 | $48,940 to $78,270 | 7,260 |
| Montana | $59,010 | $48,940 to $73,010 | 830 |
| Nebraska | $59,880 | $48,940 to $75,190 | 2,150 |
| Nevada | $62,070 | $49,960 to $81,040 | 2,530 |
| New Hampshire | $59,990 | $52,190 to $74,550 | 1,560 |
| New Jersey | $61,130 | $51,130 to $81,040 | 10,160 |
| New Mexico | $59,880 | $50,290 to $79,580 | 1,570 |
| New York | $62,070 | $51,130 to $81,040 | 20,580 |
| North Carolina | $59,990 | $43,120 to $81,000 | 11,030 |
| North Dakota | $59,010 | $48,940 to $72,840 | 800 |
| Ohio | $61,130 | $51,130 to $81,000 | 12,680 |
| Oklahoma | $59,880 | $44,160 to $77,940 | 4,130 |
| Oregon | $59,400 | $51,130 to $73,010 | 3,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,880 | $51,110 to $80,600 | 13,900 |
| Puerto Rico | $57,700 | $53,390 to $76,770 | 1,240 |
| Rhode Island | $63,610 | $51,130 to $81,040 | 1,220 |
| South Carolina | $57,700 | $42,390 to $73,010 | 5,650 |
| South Dakota | $60,760 | $44,160 to $75,190 | 850 |
| Tennessee | $58,570 | $42,390 to $77,460 | 7,310 |
| Texas | $60,550 | $44,160 to $80,500 | 26,700 |
| Utah | $59,880 | $51,110 to $79,980 | 2,460 |
| Vermont | $59,010 | $48,940 to $75,190 | 690 |
| Virgin Islands | $55,490 | $48,940 to $81,040 | 40 |
| Virginia | $62,070 | $48,940 to $79,580 | 7,900 |
| Washington | $59,990 | $51,130 to $79,580 | 6,550 |
| West Virginia | $57,700 | $43,120 to $75,520 | 1,850 |
| Wisconsin | $59,880 | $51,110 to $76,960 | 6,470 |
| Wyoming | $59,880 | $51,110 to $75,190 | 430 |
Nationally: $60,550. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 10 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt. | Not published |
| AI alone | Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes. | Not published |
| Not much | Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork. | Not published |
| Not much | Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence. | Not published |
| Not much | Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks. | Not published |
| AI + software | Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| Not much | Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered. | Not published |
| Not much | Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes. | Not published |
| Not much | Return incorrectly addressed mail to senders. | Not published |
| AI alone | Record address changes and redirect mail for those addresses. | Not published |
| AI alone | Answer customers' questions about postal services and regulations. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail. | Not published |
| Not much | Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide customers with change of address cards and other forms. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report any unusual circumstances concerning mail delivery, including the condition of street letter boxes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain accurate records of deliveries. | Not published |
| Not much | Register, certify, and insure parcels and letters. | Not published |
| Not much | Travel to post offices to pick up the mail for routes or pick up mail from postal relay boxes. | Not published |
| Not much | Sell stamps and money orders. | Not published |
| AI alone | Complete forms that notify publishers of address changes. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process shipments or mail | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Obtain formal documentation or authorization |
Show all 17 activities
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Execute financial transactions | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Maintain sales or financial records | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Package objects |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer85%
- Advice or a recommendation12%
- An email or message4%
- An academic paper or thesis0%
- An analysis or summary0%
How they worked with Claude
4% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for postal service mail carriers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 7,698 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers Moderate +5.0% 3%
- 5 Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers High +3.7% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 9,685 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 15% less than high school
- 78% high school
- 7% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 33 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 34% high school
- 34% some college
- 12% associate's
- 15% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,422 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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