How To Become a Mail Carrier (With FAQ)

Before you can succeed in becoming a mail carrier, you need to take the following steps: Acquire a high school diploma or GED. Meet the minimum job requirements. Pass the postal exam.

3. Pass the postal exam.
  1. Forms completion. …
  2. Address cross-comparison. …
  3. Memory and coding. …
  4. Personal characteristics and experience.

Postal service clerks: Clerks are office-only employees who frequently interact with customers. They market stamps, money orders, postal stationary like cards, mailing envelopes, and boxes. Additionally, they calculate and collect postage, register, certify, and insure mail as requested by the customer. They may help sort mail if needed.

Mail carriers for the postal service: They spend a brief period of time sorting mail at the post office to start their day. Delivering mail to residences and businesses along their route takes up the remainder of their day. They might take a combination of a vehicle and foot to complete their route. Along with collecting and delivering mail, rural mail carriers occasionally sell postal goods. Additionally, drivers must be able to respond to inquiries from customers regarding postal services and rules.

Employees in this position prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution at post offices and mail processing facilities. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators. They also move mail around the processing center and load and unload mail trucks. They also operate and make necessary adjustments to mail processing and sorting equipment in addition to sorting. Additionally, the postal service employs individuals as tractor trailer drivers, industrial engineers, custodians, and automotive mechanics and technicians.

After being hired, you’ll go through a criminal background investigation, a physical examination, and a drug test. You might be required to demonstrate your ability to lift and handle heavy sacks depending on your position. You must have a clean driving record and pass a road test in order to work as a mail carrier. Typically, before starting work on your own, you’ll go through a brief period of on-the-job training.

According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for those working in the postal service in 2016 was $56,790. Half of postal workers earn less than the median wage, while the other half earn more. The median annual salary for postal service clerks is $56,790, while that for mail carriers is $58,110. Mail sorters, processors, and machine operators make an average of $56,220 per year.

Your position with the postal service will determine your work environment. As they sort mail, the majority of employees must perform some heavy lifting, as well as a lot of bending and up-and-down motions. Most postal service workers are full-time, but occasionally overtime is necessary, usually around the holidays. Employees of the postal service who work indoors, typically in a post office, include clerks, mail sorters, processors, and operators of processing machines. Although mail carriers begin their days inside, they spend the majority of their time outside delivering mail.

It is predicted that overall job growth for postal service employees will decrease by 13%. Jobs for mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators are expected to decline by 16 percent, while jobs for postal service clerks and mail carriers are predicted to decline by 12 percent. This contrasts with an overall average growth rate for jobs of 7%. Tight budgets, cluster mailboxes, and automated sorting systems are anticipated to be the main factors contributing to the company’s decline.

Mail carriers’ employment is declining as a result of more automatic sorting systems because they must spend less time sorting. The postal service can expand a carrier’s mail routes because sorting takes less time. Longer mail routes mean fewer carriers are needed. Less first-class mail is sent as more people use email and electronic bill payment services, which reduces the number of openings for postal service clerks.

For more than ten years, Tamara Runzel has developed her writing skills in print, online, and television news. Prior to obtaining a degree in Communication, she began her career by writing for the college newspaper. After that, Tamara produced, wrote, and reported for a variety of television news stories before switching to print news, primarily writing for a newspaper at a US military base. Tamara now appreciates being able to use her professional experience to provide online content to websites like WorkChron while caring for a family.

USPS Hiring Process 2019 | CCA

Average salary of a mail carrier

You must complete the following steps in order to become a mail carrier:

1. Acquire a high school diploma or GED.

You need a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) to work as a mail carrier. Although the majority of applicants are 18 or older, a graduate aged 16 or 17 is still qualified for this position.

2. Meet the minimum job requirements.

The following minimum standards must be met in order to become a mail carrier:

You should feel at ease performing movements like walking, kneeling, bending, pushing, and pulling. Additionally, you should be able to regularly lift at least 50 pounds. It’s important to be ready to fulfill this requirement because mail carriers who work in cities may walk 10 miles per day.

You must have a spotless driving record for five years in any state where you have held a driver’s license because mail carriers frequently need to drive.

Because it’s a federal job, becoming a mail carrier requires you to be able to pass a criminal background check.

You must be able to get through a drug test and prove you don’t use illicit drugs.

Youll also need to pass a physical assessment. Your physical fitness and ability to carry out the tasks of a mail carrier are determined by this.

3. Pass the postal exam.

This written test, also known as the 473 Postal Exam, consists of four sections:

Some exam sections can be completed online at home, while others may call for a testing appointment at an authorized location. Each portion could take up to an hour to complete.

4. Complete the interviewing process.

Those who pass the 473 Postal Exam with a high score may continue the hiring process. However, you can still apply using the score for up to six years if you receive a high score but are not asked to participate in an interview.

5. Get additional training.

If you work as a mail carrier, you can pursue further education to advance your position within the company. For instance, you can become qualified to work as a supervisor or manager by completing managerial leadership programs, supervisory training programs, or advanced managerial training.

What does a mail carrier do?

Delivering a variety of letters, packages, messages, documents, and products to private homes and businesses is the job of mail carriers. They make daily trips to deliver and collect mail in cities, towns, and suburbs. They can use a mail truck to travel between drop-off points in suburban or rural areas or deliver mail on foot in cities.

Here are the most common duties of mail carriers:

Jobs similar to mail carriers

If you’re thinking about working as a mail carrier, you might be interested in jobs that also require delivery or outdoor work. Here are 10 jobs that are like mail carrier:

FAQ

Is it hard to become a mailman?

Being a mail carrier is a difficult process because it is a job with a lot of competition. To succeed, take each step seriously and prepare rigorously for the test and interview.

Do mailmen make good money?

At the very least, the bottom 10% of mail carriers make about $17. 78 per hour, or $36,990 per year. The highest paid 10% of mail carriers make an average of $30. 75 per hour, or $63,970 per year.

How long does it take to become a mailman?

From applying to orientation it was about 5 weeks. The clearance of the background check and fingerprinting takes around 3 weeks. Just try to have faith in the process if you know your past is good and you’ve done everything correctly.

Can you make a living as a mail carrier?

They can make up to almost $60,000 a year. Even though working as a mail carrier won’t make you rich, it does pay a living wage. Recent estimates on the employment website Indeed indicate that the average carrier’s pay in the United S. is $17. 36 an hour.

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