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Postal delivery
Mail Carrier
Federal benefits, if you survive the years before you get them.
Typical pay
$40k-$72k
How you get in
Postal exam plus on-the-job training
Outlook
Steady; parcel volume keeps demand high
Letter carriers sort and deliver mail on an assigned route. The destination — a career position with federal benefits and a pension — is genuinely good; the entry path through non-career roles is what most people quit during.
A day in the life
- 7:00aCase the route, sort mail into delivery order
- 9:00aLoad the vehicle and pull out
- 10:00aWalk the route, mostly on foot in residential areas
- 1:00pLunch at a spot on the route
- 2:00pParcels — the volume that has changed the job most
- 5:30pReturn, unload undeliverables, clock out
How to get in
City Carrier Assistant to career
Duration
1-4 years
Cost
$0
Credential
USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (postal exam)
- Apply on the USPS careers site and pass the assessment
- Clear the background check and driving record review
- Start as a City Carrier Assistant — expect six days a week and no fixed schedule
- Convert to career carrier as positions open, which is when benefits begin
Rural Carrier Associate
Duration
1-5 years
Cost
$0
Credential
Postal exam
- Apply for rural routes, often less competitive than city positions
- Work as an associate covering regular carriers' days off
- You may need to use your own vehicle on some routes
- Convert to a regular rural carrier position, which pays by evaluated route
Other postal roles
Duration
Varies
Cost
$0
Credential
Postal exam
- Apply for mail handler, clerk or motor vehicle operator positions
- Same federal benefits without the outdoor walking
- Move between crafts as openings appear
- Seniority carries forward within the postal service
What people love
- · Federal benefits and a pension once career
- · No degree required
- · Outdoors and physically active
- · Route independence once you are on your own
What wears people down
- · Non-career CCA roles come first — long hours, weekends, low pay
- · Every weather condition, no exceptions
- · Dog bites and repetitive strain injuries
- · Waiting years for a career position and a regular route