How Much Does a Mail Processing Clerk Make in 2025?
A mail processing clerk is responsible for receiving, sorting, and distributing incoming mails. They also collect and process outgoing mail and operate postage machines and other necessary mailing equipment.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected decline of postal service workers by 4% from 2023 to 2033. Despite this, there are about 35,800 job openings every year, as postal service workers who transfer to other work or retire need replacements.
Below is an overview of the salary for mail processing clerks, including pay ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Average Mail Processing Clerk Salary?
As of February 1, 2025, the average mail processing clerk pay in the United States is $37,370 per year and $18 per hour, with rates ranging from $14 to $22.
2025 Mail Processing Clerk Average Salary: $37,370 per year ($18 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average weekly and monthly salaries for mail processing clerks are $719 and $3,114, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Mail Processing Clerk?
According to Salary.com report, the salary range for mail processing clerks starts at $30,072 and can reach as high as $45,738 per year, with most earning between $33,550 and $41,750. The salary range is affected by factors like education, level of experience, and geographic location.
Mail Processing Clerk Salary Range: $30,072 to $45,738 per year ($14 to $22 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $14 | $578 | $2,506 | $30,072 |
| 25th Percentile | $16 | $645 | $2,796 | $33,550 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $18 | $719 | $3,114 | $37,370 |
| 75th Percentile | $20 | $803 | $3,479 | $41,750 |
| 90th Percentile | $22 | $880 | $3,811 | $45,738 |
Mail Processing Clerk Salary Factors
Experience level, place of work, and skills are important factors that can affect the pay for mail processing clerks. Here are the detailed effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The salary of mail processing clerks increases as experience level advances. An entry-level mail processing clerk's salary is $36,323 while the expert level with over 8 years of experience gets paid $39,262 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per Year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Mail Processing Clerk | <1 | $36,323 |
| Intermediate Level Mail Processing Clerk | 1-2 | $37,129 |
| Senior Level Mail Processing Clerk | 2-4 | $38,939 |
| Specialist Level Mail Processing Clerk | 5-8 | $39,133 |
| Expert Level Mail Processing Clerk | 8+ | $39,262 |
Place of Work
The industries or companies of a job title has an effect on its salary. According to BLS, mail processing clerks working in the federal government earn up to 66% more than those working in the employment services industry in 2023.
| Place of Work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Federal government | $59,240 |
| Business support services | $36,270 |
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | $36,160 |
| Employment Services | $35,780 |
| Printing and related support activities | $38,890 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | $39,100 |
Skill Set
Mail processing clerks with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that security management skills can give the highest pay increase of +6.32%, followed by records managements skills with +5.88%.
Some important skills with higher salary increase also include computer literacy, document management, data entry, and mail delivery.
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Security Management | 1.73% | +6.32% |
| Records Management | 2.63% | +5.88% |
| Computer Literacy | 2.13% | +5.68% |
| Document Management | 2.53% | +5.28% |
| Data Entry | 2.33% | +5.04% |
| Mail Delivery | 2.03% | +4.80% |
Mail Processing Clerk Salary by City and State
The salary of mail processing clerks varies in different cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Mail Processing Clerk
Based on Salary.com’s salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest average pay for mail processing clerks in the United States, at $41,590 per year.
- District of Columbia: $41,590 (or $20 per hour)
- California: $41,220 (or $20 per hour)
- New Jersey: $40,960 (or $20 per hour)
- Alaska: $40,690 (or $20 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $40,660 (or $20 per hour)
Mail Processing Clerk Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $40,690 |
| Alabama | $34,340 |
| Arkansas | $34,040 |
| Arizona | $36,400 |
| California | $41,220 |
| Colorado | $38,120 |
| Connecticut | $40,130 |
| District of Columbia | $41,590 |
| Delaware | $37,930 |
| Florida | $35,500 |
| Georgia | $36,140 |
| Hawaii | $39,050 |
| Iowa | $35,760 |
| Idaho | $34,870 |
| Illinois | $38,230 |
| Indiana | $36,250 |
| Kansas | $35,580 |
| Kentucky | $35,170 |
| Louisiana | $35,540 |
| Massachusetts | $40,660 |
| Maryland | $38,530 |
| Maine | $36,360 |
| Michigan | $36,880 |
| Minnesota | $38,230 |
| Missouri | $35,610 |
| Mississippi | $33,330 |
| Montana | $34,900 |
| North Carolina | $35,870 |
| North Dakota | $37,000 |
| Nebraska | $35,200 |
| New Hampshire | $38,000 |
| New Jersey | $40,960 |
| New Mexico | $34,460 |
| Nevada | $37,520 |
| New York | $39,840 |
| Ohio | $36,550 |
| Oklahoma | $34,570 |
| Oregon | $37,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,290 |
| Rhode Island | $39,010 |
| South Carolina | $35,280 |
| South Dakota | $33,600 |
| Tennessee | $34,600 |
| Texas | $36,580 |
| Utah | $35,540 |
| Virginia | $37,480 |
| Vermont | $36,660 |
| Washington | $40,280 |
| Wisconsin | $36,920 |
| West Virginia | $33,630 |
| Wyoming | $35,840 |
Highest Paying Cities for Mail Processing Clerk
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for mail processing clerk with $46,900 per year or $39 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $46,900 (or $23 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $46,710 (or $22 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $45,590 (or $22 per hour)
- New York, New York: $43,650 (or $21 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $43,350 (or $21 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Mail Processing Clerk
Mail processing clerks can increase their salary through various ways. These include working overtime opportunities and obtaining additional responsibilities in the workplace. Here are other significant ways a mail processing clerk can raise their pay:
- Good performance evaluations. Gaining a satisfactory reputation in the workplace means that employees deserve a pay raise. Delivering good outputs to the organization and being consistent at it increases the chances of higher salary adjustments.
- Enhance more skills. Some of the important skills that will help increase a mail processing clerk’s salary are security management, records management, and computer literacy. Meanwhile, one of their in-demand skills is service delivery.
- Obtain seniority. Having more years of experience means a certain level of superiority and expertise in the operations. This can lead to higher pay, especially when seeking a promotion. For example, expert-level mail processing clerks with more than 8 years of experience will get higher salaries than the entry-level ones.
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Search for high-paying industries. In the case of mail processing clerks, these are some of the highest paying workplaces aside from the federal government:
a. Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution industries
b. Securities and other financial investments and related activities
c. Scientific research and development services
Average National Salaries by Source
As of February 11, 2025, the following are the reported salaries for mail processing clerks from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $38,453.20 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$37,370/year
TALENT.COM AVG. SALARY
$35,016/year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$44,000/year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$39,981/year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$35,899/year
