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How Much Does a Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator Make?

A mail clerk and mail machine operator in the US earns a median salary of $39,280 a year, or $18.89 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $41,650, and the middle half earn between $35,470 and $46,450.

Median a year $39,280
Median an hour $18.89
Median a month $3,273
Average a year $41,650

Mail clerk and mail machine operator pay range

What mail clerks and mail machine operators 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%) $30,780 $14.80
25th $35,470 $17.05
Median (50th) $39,280 $18.89
75th $46,450 $22.33
90th (top 10%) $54,820 $26.36

The median is 23% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 55,230 people work as mail clerks and mail machine operators in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$755
Every two weeks
$1,511
Twice a month
$1,637
A month
$3,273

At the median salary, before tax.

Mail clerk and mail machine operator salary by state

Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays mail clerks and mail machine operators the most, at $52,800 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
District of Columbia $52,800 $49,240 310 After tax
Massachusetts $50,660 $48,860 1,050 After tax
Washington $48,130 $46,380 1,360 After tax
California $47,290 $44,410 4,710 After tax
New Jersey $45,950 $43,700 2,210 After tax
Florida $45,180 $39,300 2,470 After tax
Connecticut $45,020 $43,970 680 After tax
Vermont $44,510 $45,380 120 After tax
Maine $44,480 $44,780 160 After tax
Colorado $44,390 $43,430 880 After tax
Utah $44,290 $45,150 460 After tax
Minnesota $44,220 $44,840 1,170 After tax
New York $44,030 $42,020 5,990 After tax
Oregon $42,890 $43,450 370 After tax
New Hampshire $42,310 $41,060 280 After tax
Rhode Island $42,070 $38,330 310 After tax
Maryland $41,980 $40,280 1,580 After tax
Hawaii $41,380 $38,270 200 After tax
Nevada $40,930 $40,520 420 After tax
Illinois $40,720 $38,190 3,150 After tax
New Mexico $40,720 $40,080 100 After tax
Nebraska $40,440 $40,080 240 After tax
North Dakota $40,370 $38,120 110 After tax
Ohio $40,000 $38,470 2,210 After tax
Arizona $39,870 $38,260 810 After tax
Missouri $39,760 $38,110 1,140 After tax
South Carolina $39,660 $36,780 580 After tax
Pennsylvania $39,450 $37,980 2,810 After tax
Indiana $39,370 $38,490 1,310 After tax
Idaho $39,330 $39,890 110 After tax
Montana $39,060 $38,880 180 After tax
Texas $38,980 $38,470 3,250 After tax
Virginia $38,840 $36,780 1,610 After tax
Michigan $38,550 $36,900 1,660 After tax
Wisconsin $38,310 $37,730 1,310 After tax
South Dakota $38,250 $37,580 320 After tax
Delaware $38,110 $36,450 630 After tax
Kentucky $38,000 $37,890 530 After tax
North Carolina $37,990 $37,830 1,280 After tax
Arkansas $37,490 $37,940 330 After tax
Oklahoma $37,400 $36,680 810 After tax
Georgia $37,290 $36,110 1,850 After tax
Kansas $36,530 $36,020 750 After tax
Alabama $36,500 $36,190 470 After tax
Iowa $36,060 $35,610 830 After tax
West Virginia $36,010 $35,140 270 After tax
Tennessee $35,590 $35,610 760 After tax
Louisiana $35,010 $34,860 590 After tax
Mississippi $34,530 $34,350 270 After tax
Wyoming $33,400 $32,940 90 After tax
Puerto Rico $29,960 $23,560 160

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 “Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service” (SOC 43-9051). 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 clerk and mail machine operator make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a mail clerk and mail machine operator is $18.89, and the average is $20.03. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $14.80 an hour and the top 10% over $26.36.

How much does a mail clerk and mail machine operator make a month?

At the median salary of $39,280, a mail clerk and mail machine operator earns about $3,273 a month before tax, or $1,511 every two weeks.

Which state pays mail clerks and mail machine operators the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for a mail clerk and mail machine operator, at $52,800 a year. Next are Massachusetts and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a mail clerk and mail machine operator?

The lowest-paid 10% of mail clerks and mail machine operators earn less than $30,780 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $35,470. 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 clerks and mail machine operators make?

The top 10% earn more than $54,820 a year, and the top 25% more than $46,450.