Compensation Information for Entry-Level Positions
The average starting wage for an entry-level postal worker is more than $20 per hour, along with benefits. This pay rate is highly competitive in the job market. Below is a table displaying the initial pay rates for popular entry-level roles like City Carrier, Rural Carrier, Clerk, and Mail Handler.
This data is official and comes from the USPS, as reported by the Government Accountability Office.
Contrary to what some might think, various forms of benefits are indeed provided to new postal employees. While these benefits tend to improve over time, similar to many other companies, they are available from the start.
No matter which entry-level path you choose, you can anticipate an average total pay of about $21 per hour.
Compensation and Benefits – Building a Long-Term Career
Postal workers are among the highest earners in the government sector. In the previous year, the average postal employee earned slightly over $72,000. The significance of both hourly and annual pay figures is notable, particularly considering that employees aren’t required to hold a college or high school diploma, or prior experience.
Excluding the value of benefits, the subsequent table presents wages exclusively for postal employees. This data is sourced from the United States Department of Labor and is available on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
It’s important to note that these figures don’t incorporate federal benefits, which are granted to career employees. These benefits hold a value of 33% of gross wages, as reported by the New York Times, citing data from the Congressional Budget Office.
For a link to the entire report click: https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag491.htm
When you factor in the value of benefits at 33% to any of the job categories highlighted in the above table, you’ll find that the average pay, including benefits, ranges from a low of $67,311 to a high of $104,059.
The assertion that the average postal worker earns just over $72,000 annually is based on these figures, which are provided by the United States Department of Labor Statistics and the Congressional Budget Office.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), government sector employees with some college education or only a high school diploma are paid about 15% to 20% more than their private sector counterparts, on average.
In essence, an individual performing a specific job within the US Postal Service is likely to earn 15% to 20% more than someone undertaking the same role in a private company such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL.
Because the sources mentioned here are meticulous in presenting thoroughly reviewed statistics, the data often lags behind by a year or two. Like most jobs, salaries typically increase annually, so the statistics mentioned here are likely lower than current figures.