Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$63,580
- South Dakota$62,850
- Vermont$62,580
- New Jersey$62,250
- Wyoming$61,790
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Indiana$53,940
- Kansas$55,710
- Georgia$56,260
- Alaska$56,360
- North Carolina$56,620
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $63,580 | $66,750 | $31 | +7% | 400 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $62,850 | $61,570 | $30 | +5.8% | 210 |
| 3 | Vermont | $62,580 | $59,490 | $30 | +5.3% | 110 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $62,250 | $60,530 | $30 | +4.7% | 3,660 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $61,790 | $60,530 | $30 | +4% | 120 |
| 6 | California | $61,530 | $59,490 | $30 | +3.5% | 10,090 |
| 7 | Maine | $61,420 | $59,490 | $30 | +3.3% | 440 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $61,360 | $59,740 | $30 | +3.2% | 1,840 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $61,320 | $58,470 | $29 | +3.2% | 1,020 |
| 10 | Delaware | $61,060 | $58,470 | $29 | +2.7% | 410 |
| 11 | Washington | $61,010 | $59,490 | $29 | +2.7% | 1,770 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $60,920 | $59,490 | $29 | +2.5% | 640 |
| 13 | Michigan | $60,850 | $59,490 | $29 | +2.4% | 3,370 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $60,740 | $58,470 | $29 | +2.2% | 1,420 |
| 15 | New York | $60,690 | $58,470 | $29 | +2.1% | 8,290 |
| 16 | Iowa | $60,640 | $60,530 | $29 | +2% | 1,040 |
| 17 | Colorado | $60,490 | $58,470 | $29 | +1.8% | 1,910 |
| 18 | Maryland | $60,450 | $58,470 | $29 | +1.7% | 2,430 |
| 19 | Oregon | $60,450 | $57,890 | $29 | +1.7% | 1,090 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $60,360 | $59,490 | $29 | +1.6% | 600 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $60,320 | $58,470 | $29 | +1.5% | 2,910 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $60,290 | $59,490 | $29 | +1.4% | 370 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $60,290 | $59,840 | $29 | +1.4% | 240 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $60,250 | $58,470 | $29 | +1.4% | 410 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $60,020 | $58,470 | $29 | +1% | 570 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $59,890 | $58,300 | $29 | +0.8% | 690 |
| 27 | Montana | $59,460 | $57,430 | $29 | +0.1% | 270 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $59,420 | $58,470 | $29 | +0% | 350 |
| 29 | Illinois | $59,390 | $58,300 | $29 | -0.1% | 5,370 |
| 30 | Ohio | $59,390 | $58,470 | $29 | -0.1% | 3,700 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $59,390 | $57,430 | $29 | -0.1% | 5,630 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $59,370 | $58,470 | $29 | -0.1% | 790 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $59,310 | $58,470 | $29 | -0.2% | 1,200 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $59,230 | $58,390 | $28 | -0.3% | 1,280 |
| 35 | Utah | $59,140 | $57,430 | $28 | -0.5% | 860 |
| 36 | Virginia | $59,050 | $58,300 | $28 | -0.6% | 2,420 |
| 37 | Alabama | $58,770 | $57,430 | $28 | -1.1% | 1,150 |
| 38 | Idaho | $58,760 | $57,430 | $28 | -1.1% | 250 |
| 39 | Florida | $58,730 | $57,430 | $28 | -1.2% | 7,240 |
| 40 | Missouri | $58,680 | $57,430 | $28 | -1.3% | 2,730 |
| 41 | Nevada | $58,680 | $58,470 | $28 | -1.3% | 920 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $58,480 | $57,800 | $28 | -1.6% | 350 |
| 43 | Texas | $58,240 | $56,390 | $28 | -2% | 7,900 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $57,960 | $57,430 | $28 | -2.5% | 950 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $56,980 | $56,390 | $27 | -4.1% | 2,850 |
| 46 | Arizona | $56,670 | $55,350 | $27 | -4.6% | 2,180 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $56,620 | $55,350 | $27 | -4.7% | 4,040 |
| 48 | Alaska | $56,360 | $55,350 | $27 | -5.2% | 230 |
| 49 | Georgia | $56,260 | $53,290 | $27 | -5.3% | 3,050 |
| 50 | Kansas | $55,710 | $54,540 | $27 | -6.3% | 870 |
| 51 | Indiana | $53,940 | $48,880 | $26 | -9.2% | 2,600 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 169 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duluth, MN-WI | $70,990 | $65,750 | 40 |
| 2 | Erie, PA | $69,680 | $66,250 | 30 |
| 3 | Wichita, KS | $66,750 | $65,800 | 210 |
| 4 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $64,160 | $62,330 | 40 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $63,650 | $64,200 | 1,510 |
| 6 | Rocky Mount, NC | $62,610 | $63,170 | 80 |
| 7 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $61,710 | $63,000 | 170 |
| 8 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $61,570 | $62,430 | 100 |
| 9 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $61,570 | $62,330 | 60 |
| 10 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $60,740 | $63,130 | 110 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $58,470 | $59,430 | 105,200 |
| 2 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $58,470 | $59,430 | 105,200 |
| 3 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $58,470 | $59,430 | 105,200 |
| 4 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $58,470 | $59,430 | 105,200 |
| 5 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $58,470 | $59,430 | 105,200 |
| 6 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $58,470 | $59,430 | 105,200 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators make in the U.S.?
The median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in the United States is $58,470 per year (mean $59,430), and about 80% earn between $45,530 and $75,280.
How much do postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $59,430 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators at $63,580 per year (median $66,750).
What is the job outlook for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators?
Employment is projected to change -8.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 7,800 openings per year.