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How Much Does a Mail Carrier Make?

A mail carrier in the US earns a median salary of $60,550 a year, or $29.11 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $62,540, and the middle half earn between $48,940 and $81,000.

Median a year $60,550
Median an hour $29.11
Median a month $5,046
Average a year $62,540

Mail carrier pay range

What mail carriers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $42,390 $20.38
25th $48,940 $23.53
Median (50th) $60,550 $29.11
75th $81,000 $38.94
90th (top 10%) $81,040 $38.96

The median is 19% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 328,820 people work as mail carriers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,164
Every two weeks
$2,329
Twice a month
$2,523
A month
$5,046

At the median salary, before tax.

Mail carrier salary by state

Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays mail carriers the most, at $65,030 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
District of Columbia $65,030 $64,250 930 After tax
California $64,560 $62,090 32,320 After tax
Massachusetts $64,500 $62,070 7,630 After tax
New York $64,100 $62,070 20,580 After tax
Rhode Island $63,890 $63,610 1,220 After tax
Hawaii $63,840 $59,880 1,200 After tax
Arizona $63,650 $62,390 5,300 After tax
Illinois $63,500 $62,070 14,730 After tax
Maryland $63,400 $62,070 6,420 After tax
New Jersey $63,230 $61,130 10,160 After tax
Nevada $63,090 $62,070 2,530 After tax
Ohio $62,990 $61,130 12,680 After tax
Washington $62,830 $59,990 6,550 After tax
Virginia $62,790 $62,070 7,900 After tax
Connecticut $62,740 $61,130 4,510 After tax
Florida $62,670 $61,130 20,810 After tax
Minnesota $62,540 $59,990 5,890 After tax
Colorado $62,480 $59,880 5,100 After tax
Pennsylvania $62,460 $59,880 13,900 After tax
Alaska $62,380 $59,880 450 After tax
Puerto Rico $62,360 $57,700 1,240
New Hampshire $62,330 $59,990 1,560 After tax
New Mexico $62,250 $59,880 1,570 After tax
Missouri $62,220 $59,880 7,260 After tax
Utah $62,210 $59,880 2,460 After tax
Michigan $62,190 $59,880 11,610 After tax
Wisconsin $62,190 $59,880 6,470 After tax
Indiana $62,140 $59,880 6,910 After tax
Delaware $62,120 $59,880 1,130 After tax
Texas $62,050 $60,550 26,700 After tax
North Carolina $61,920 $59,990 11,030 After tax
Wyoming $61,840 $59,880 430 After tax
Maine $61,820 $59,010 1,510 After tax
Arkansas $61,620 $59,700 3,030 After tax
Oregon $61,570 $59,400 3,760 After tax
Iowa $61,480 $59,880 3,730 After tax
South Dakota $61,420 $60,760 850 After tax
Nebraska $61,400 $59,880 2,150 After tax
Oklahoma $61,400 $59,880 4,130 After tax
Vermont $61,350 $59,010 690 After tax
Kansas $61,260 $58,540 3,310 After tax
Louisiana $61,260 $58,910 5,090 After tax
Kentucky $61,200 $58,910 4,640 After tax
Montana $61,070 $59,010 830 After tax
North Dakota $60,640 $59,010 800 After tax
Tennessee $60,590 $58,570 7,310 After tax
Virgin Islands $60,480 $55,490 40
Guam $60,420 $56,080 40
Georgia $60,260 $57,700 10,790 After tax
Idaho $60,220 $57,820 1,660 After tax
West Virginia $60,170 $57,700 1,850 After tax
Alabama $60,050 $57,700 5,840 After tax
Mississippi $59,590 $57,470 3,290 After tax
South Carolina $59,480 $57,700 5,650 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other office and administrative support jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Postal Service Mail Carriers” (SOC 43-5052). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a mail carrier make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a mail carrier is $29.11, and the average is $30.07. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $20.38 an hour and the top 10% over $38.96.

How much does a mail carrier make a month?

At the median salary of $60,550, a mail carrier earns about $5,046 a month before tax, or $2,329 every two weeks.

Which state pays mail carriers the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for a mail carrier, at $65,030 a year. Next are California and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a mail carrier?

The lowest-paid 10% of mail carriers earn less than $42,390 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $48,940. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid mail carriers make?

The top 10% earn more than $81,040 a year, and the top 25% more than $81,000.