Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

43-5053 Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. 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 other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Excludes "Postal Service Clerks" (43-5051) and "Postal Service Mail Carriers" (43-5052).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
139,700 0.0 % $23.26 $48,380 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.01 $24.41 $25.52 $25.53 $25.53
Annual Wage (2) $24,970 $50,770 $53,080 $53,100 $53,100


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service 139,680 21.54 $23.26 $48,380

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service 139,680 21.54 $23.26 $48,380

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service 139,680 21.54 $23.26 $48,380


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 15,140 1.08 0.99 $24.28 $50,490
New York 10,910 1.29 1.19 $24.04 $50,010
Texas 8,990 0.87 0.80 $23.51 $48,900
Illinois 7,600 1.36 1.25 $23.44 $48,760
Pennsylvania 7,500 1.35 1.24 $22.90 $47,620




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 6,380 1.69 1.55 $24.15 $50,230
Montana 640 1.50 1.38 $18.20 $37,850
Alaska 470 1.50 1.38 $19.02 $39,560
Rhode Island 650 1.45 1.33 $23.61 $49,110
Missouri 3,660 1.41 1.30 $22.58 $46,970




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 720 1.12 1.03 $25.22 $52,460
Connecticut 1,670 1.04 0.96 $24.75 $51,490
Delaware 420 1.04 0.95 $24.49 $50,940
California 15,140 1.08 0.99 $24.28 $50,490
Maryland 3,280 1.32 1.21 $24.21 $50,350





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 9,730 1.92 1.76 $24.65 $51,270
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,870 1.64 1.50 $24.16 $50,260
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 5,110 1.34 1.23 $24.53 $51,030
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,970 1.29 1.18 $24.72 $51,410
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 2,830 1.56 1.43 $23.89 $49,690
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,740 1.34 1.23 $24.90 $51,790
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 2,630 1.18 1.08 $24.29 $50,520
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 2,140 1.77 1.63 $24.00 $49,920
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2,100 1.23 1.13 $24.95 $51,890
Pittsburgh, PA 1,900 1.71 1.57 $22.87 $47,580




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Springfield, MA-CT 1,260 4.41 4.05 $23.60 $49,090
Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division 310 3.58 3.28 $23.57 $49,020
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 1,110 3.50 3.21 $23.45 $48,780
Manchester, NH 300 3.00 2.76 $24.55 $51,060
Trenton-Ewing, NJ 640 2.94 2.70 $24.37 $50,680
Greensboro-High Point, NC 950 2.77 2.55 $24.35 $50,650
Rocky Mount, NC 150 2.65 2.44 $22.80 $47,410
Bangor, ME 150 2.48 2.28 $22.83 $47,480
Fayetteville, NC 310 2.42 2.22 $24.01 $49,950
Macon, GA 210 2.29 2.10 $24.31 $50,560




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Haven, CT 500 1.88 1.73 $25.21 $52,440
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,630 1.70 1.56 $25.20 $52,410
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL Metropolitan Division 590 0.85 0.78 $25.13 $52,270
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 630 1.15 1.06 $25.08 $52,160
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,670 1.76 1.61 $25.00 $52,010
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 190 1.48 1.36 $25.01 $52,010
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 1,680 1.22 1.12 $24.95 $51,890
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2,100 1.23 1.13 $24.95 $51,890
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division 730 0.76 0.70 $24.91 $51,810
Akron, OH 320 1.01 0.93 $24.90 $51,800

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 350 0.91 0.84 $16.00 $33,290
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 240 1.79 1.64 $15.09 $31,380
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 230 2.26 2.08 $20.72 $43,110
Far Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 210 1.30 1.19 $19.01 $39,550
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 200 1.13 1.04 $17.53 $36,460

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Montana nonmetropolitan area 100 3.12 2.87 $13.58 $28,250
Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 110 2.95 2.71 $13.27 $27,590
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 190 2.66 2.44 $12.92 $26,870
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 230 2.26 2.08 $20.72 $43,110
Central South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 70 2.05 1.88 $15.17 $31,550

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 1.09 1.00 $21.82 $45,380
Upper Eastern Shore nonmetropolitan area 120 1.85 1.70 $21.27 $44,230
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 230 2.26 2.08 $20.72 $43,110
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 110 0.91 0.83 $20.59 $42,830
Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 80 1.13 1.04 $19.73 $41,050


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012