The physical delivery of packages, letters and other documents is an essential part of the modern economy, despite the rise of digital communication technologies. Mail carriers are workers employed by the U.S. Postal Service. They sort, carry and deliver mail to residences and businesses. Mail carriers must have a high school diploma or equivalent, and they need to pass a written exam and be capable of carrying mail sacks that weigh up to 50 pounds.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average annual salary of mail carriers was $51,390 in May 2011. This salary estimate is derived from an average wage of $24.71 an hour and assumes 2,080 hours of work a year. The median income of mail carriers was $55,160. The median is the amount earned by the worker at the middle of the pay scale, which means half of workers make more than the median and half earn less.
While average and median income data provide a rough estimate of the salary that a typical worker earns, actual salaries can vary significantly from the average. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mail carriers in the top 10 percent of the pay scale earned more than $56,720 in May 2011, while workers in the bottom 10 percent made less than $40,470. Fifty percent of mail carriers had annual incomes between $46,990 and $55,530.
Average salaries of mail carriers vary slightly from one state to another. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that mail carriers working in the District of Columbia led the nation with an average annual salary of $53,810. Mail carriers in Hawaii made $53,800 on average, workers in Alaska earned $53,780 and workers in California made $53,460. Michigan had the highest concentration of mail carriers of any state, and workers Michigan earned $51,220 on average.
The Postal Service faces competition from private package delivery companies like UPS and FedEx as well as communication technologies such as email and fax machines. Stiff competition combined with tight government budgets is likely to force the Postal Service to cut jobs for mail carriers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects total employment of mail carriers to decrease by 12 percent from 2010 to 2020. Competition for job openings is likely to be very strong.
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