Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Also called: Automation Clerk, Distribution Clerk, Mail Handler, Mail ProcessorPrepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 5.3% 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, 4.7% 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 | $57,430 | $50,460 to $67,790 | 1,150 |
| Alaska | $55,350 | $47,440 to $61,150 | 230 |
| Arizona | $55,350 | $45,530 to $65,710 | 2,180 |
| Arkansas | $58,470 | $52,310 to $69,850 | 570 |
| California | $59,490 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 10,090 |
| Colorado | $58,470 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 1,910 |
| Connecticut | $58,470 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 1,020 |
| Delaware | $58,470 | $52,310 to $75,030 | 410 |
| District of Columbia | $66,750 | $53,290 to $75,280 | 400 |
| Florida | $57,430 | $48,880 to $69,850 | 7,240 |
| Georgia | $53,290 | $47,440 to $66,750 | 3,050 |
| Guam | $60,530 | $56,390 to $66,750 | 30 |
| Hawaii | $59,490 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 370 |
| Idaho | $57,430 | $47,440 to $68,810 | 250 |
| Illinois | $58,300 | $48,880 to $75,030 | 5,370 |
| Indiana | $48,880 | $45,530 to $60,530 | 2,600 |
| Iowa | $60,530 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 1,040 |
| Kansas | $54,540 | $42,600 to $68,810 | 870 |
| Kentucky | $57,430 | $48,880 to $67,790 | 950 |
| Louisiana | $58,470 | $50,770 to $68,810 | 1,200 |
| Maine | $59,490 | $52,670 to $75,030 | 440 |
| Maryland | $58,470 | $50,460 to $75,030 | 2,430 |
| Massachusetts | $58,470 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 2,910 |
| Michigan | $59,490 | $52,310 to $75,030 | 3,370 |
| Minnesota | $59,740 | $54,330 to $70,890 | 1,840 |
| Mississippi | $57,800 | $50,770 to $63,670 | 350 |
| Missouri | $57,430 | $48,880 to $69,850 | 2,730 |
| Montana | $57,430 | $54,330 to $64,630 | 270 |
| Nebraska | $59,490 | $52,670 to $70,890 | 640 |
| Nevada | $58,470 | $49,050 to $67,790 | 920 |
| New Hampshire | $58,300 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 690 |
| New Jersey | $60,530 | $50,770 to $75,280 | 3,660 |
| New Mexico | $58,470 | $50,460 to $75,030 | 350 |
| New York | $58,470 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 8,290 |
| North Carolina | $55,350 | $47,440 to $63,960 | 4,040 |
| North Dakota | $59,840 | $50,770 to $71,930 | 240 |
| Ohio | $58,470 | $50,770 to $67,790 | 3,700 |
| Oklahoma | $58,470 | $50,460 to $69,850 | 790 |
| Oregon | $57,890 | $50,770 to $70,890 | 1,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,430 | $50,460 to $71,930 | 5,630 |
| Puerto Rico | $56,390 | $48,880 to $61,710 | 780 |
| Rhode Island | $59,490 | $50,770 to $75,030 | 600 |
| South Carolina | $58,390 | $50,460 to $68,810 | 1,280 |
| South Dakota | $61,570 | $55,350 to $71,930 | 210 |
| Tennessee | $56,390 | $47,440 to $63,960 | 2,850 |
| Texas | $56,390 | $47,440 to $75,030 | 7,900 |
| Utah | $57,430 | $48,880 to $69,850 | 860 |
| Vermont | $59,490 | $54,330 to $75,030 | 110 |
| Virginia | $58,300 | $48,880 to $69,850 | 2,420 |
| Washington | $59,490 | $52,310 to $75,030 | 1,770 |
| West Virginia | $58,470 | $54,330 to $67,790 | 410 |
| Wisconsin | $58,470 | $52,670 to $75,030 | 1,420 |
| Wyoming | $60,530 | $54,330 to $75,030 | 120 |
Nationally: $58,470. 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 4 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters. | Not published |
| Not much | Clear jams in sorting equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Check items to ensure that addresses are legible and correct, that sufficient postage has been paid or the appropriate documentation is attached, and that items are in a suitable condition for processing. | Not published |
| Not much | Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling. | Not published |
| Not much | Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines. | Not published |
| Not much | Train new workers. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Open and label mail containers. | Not published |
| AI alone | Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Distribute incoming mail into the correct boxes or pigeonholes. | Not published |
| Not much | Rewrap soiled or broken parcels. | Not published |
| Not much | Move containers of mail, using equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains". | Not published |
| Not much | Cancel letter or parcel post stamps by hand. | Not published |
| Not much | Load and unload mail trucks, sometimes lifting containers of mail onto equipment that transports items to sorting stations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Search directories to find correct addresses for redirected mail. | 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. 0 of the 14 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 14 tasks fall under 12 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.
- #13 Operate computer systems or computerized equipment
| 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 | |||
| Package objects | |||
| Operate computer systems or computerized equipment | |||
| Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance | |||
| Collect data about consumer needs or opinions | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification |
Show all 12 activities
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
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 sorters, processors, and processing machine operators 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 8,082 moves out
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 4 Driver/Sales Workers Moderate +7.9% 4%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 8,599 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
- 2 Driver/Sales Workers Moderate +7.9% 6%
- 3 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
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
- 12% less than high school
- 81% high school
- 6% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 39% high school
- 28% some college
- 10% associate's
- 18% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 451 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
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-5053.00