Postal Service Mail Carriers

What the job really is

Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.

At a glance

• Sector: Office & Administrative
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-5052
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt.
• Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork.
• Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes.
• Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence.
• Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks.
• Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail.
• Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office.
• Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations.
• Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes.
• Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered.
• Maintain accurate records of deliveries.
• Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Address Management System AMS, Automated Data Collection System ADCS, Delivery Routing System DRS, Delivery operations information system DOIS, Delivery unit computers, Electronic Time Clock ETC, End of Run Report EOR, Handheld computers, Mail distribution cases

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Postal Service Clerks
• Couriers and Messengers
• Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
• Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
• Cargo and Freight Agents
• Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
• Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
• Light Truck Drivers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Postal Service Mail Carriers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.