Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
What they do
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.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Other titles
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)
Tasks they perform
- 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.
Skills they need
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
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Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
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Additional career information and resources
Learn more about postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators with these helpful sites.
- American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (external link opens new tab)
- National Association of Letter Carriers (external link opens new tab)
- National Postal Mail Handlers Union (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Postal service workers (external link opens new tab)
- United Postmasters and Managers of America (external link opens new tab)