Material Recording, Scheduling, Dispatching, and Distributing Workers

How to become a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor or Processing Machine Operator

Official title: Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

Also called: Automation Clerk, Computer Forwarding System Markup Clerk (CFS Markup Clerk), Distribution Clerk, Flat Sorting Machine Clerk (FSM Clerk), Mail Handler, Mail Handler Equipment Operator, Mail Processing Clerk, Mail Processor, Parcel Post Distribution Machine Operator (PDPMO), Small Package and Bundle Sorter Clerk (SPBS Clerk)

Prepare 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.

Main tasks

Clear jams in sorting equipment.
Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.

How to become one

Although no formal education is typically required to enter these occupations, most postal service workers have at least a high school diploma. All applicants for these jobs must pass a written exam.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $58,470 a year The middle half earn $48,880 to $75,030.
About 101,200 people work in this job now, and about 95,900 are projected by 2035. (-5.3%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor or Processing Machine Operator?

Although no formal education is typically required to enter these occupations, most postal service workers have at least a high school diploma. All applicants for these jobs must pass a written exam.

How much does a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor or Processing Machine Operator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $58,470 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $48,880 to $75,030.

Is a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor or Processing Machine Operator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 101,200 to about 95,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor or Processing Machine Operator?

Usually not. Only 23% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor or Processing Machine Operator?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.