Postal Mail Machine Operator

Explore This Path

Ideal for those who enjoy hands-on work with advanced mail processing technology.
Ensure efficient mail delivery, impacting communities and businesses nationwide.
Operate and maintain diverse machinery, keeping the postal system running smoothly.

💰 Earn $45K-$72K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 -7.9% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll 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.

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.
Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment.
Check items to ensure that addresses are legible and correct, that sufficient postage has been paid or the appropriate documentation is attached, and that items are in a suitable condition for processing.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Risky (Decreasing by 5% or more)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

7,800 Annually

Median Earnings

$54,790 in California

$53,440 Nationally

$25K

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Real Talk Reel

Want to see what it's like to be a Postal Mail Machine Operator? We've curated a playlist for you to get a glimpse into a day in the life.

@driplessboomer

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Mathematics
Reading Comprehension

You value 🙏

Having support
Job security
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Postal Mail Machine Operator

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Strategic Employment

Strategic employment provides individuals with valuable work experience, opportunities for professional growth and networking, and exposure to an industry where they may want to pursue advancement.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 1-3 years

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Workforce Development Program

A workforce development program typically enhances participants' opportunities to succeed in the workforce through employment skill-building, career counseling, connections to employers, and pathways to high-demand and high-wage jobs.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-5 years