Postal Service Clerks

Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.

Also Known As:

Bulk Mail Technician Clerk Distribution Clerk Part Time Flexible Clerk (PTF Clerk) Postal Clerk Sales and Distribution Clerk Sales and Service Associate (SSA) Window Clerk

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Postal Service Clerks in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2034 Projected Employment

71,600

-4% Change From 2024

Explore Postal Service Mail Carriers video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Order retail items and other supplies for office use.
Provide assistance to the public in complying with federal regulations of Postal Service and other federal agencies.
Complete forms regarding changes of address, or theft or loss of mail, or for special services such as registered or priority mail.
Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags.
Respond to complaints regarding mail theft, delivery problems, and lost or damaged mail, filling out forms and making appropriate referrals for investigation.
Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail.
Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes.
Transport mail from one work station to another.
Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.
Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions.
Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.
Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation.
Respond to complaints regarding mail theft, delivery problems, and lost or damaged mail, filling out forms and making appropriate referrals for investigation.
Rent post office boxes to customers.
Feed mail into postage canceling devices or hand stamp mail to cancel postage.
Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.
Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.
Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing.
Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices.
Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.
Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.
Cash money orders.
Provide customers with assistance in filing claims for mail theft, or lost or damaged mail.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.