Post office jobs or jobs with the US Postal Services traditionally have three occupational categories:
- Postal Service Clerks
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
Post office jobs for clerks
Post office jobs for service clerks require the selling of stamps, postal stationery, and money orders etcetera. Postal service clerks insure mail, collect postage, and also do other work like insuring mail and registering or certifying them.
People applying for post office jobs as clerks need to pass an examination and fulfill other eligibility requirements including those of working age and residency. Through 2018, post office jobs in the clerical sector show a decline of 18% according to BLS.
Median earnings in this occupation remains around $50, 000, and attractive benefits as well as low entry requirements make post office jobs in the clerical sector a top-demand occupation.
Post office jobs for mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators are engaged in post office jobs that involve sorting and distribution of incoming, as well as outgoing mail. Depending upon designations, their jobs may also include loading and unloading of postal trucks, and physically moving around the mail.
Post office jobs in this category require applicants to pass a Postal Service examination and also fulfill other eligibility requirements including a command of language.
According to BLS, post office jobs in the category of sorters, processors, and processing machine operators is going to decline by 30% through 2018. However, this category of post office jobs still remains one in top demand due to healthy median wages ($ 50, 000), negligible entry requirements, and service benefits.
Post office jobs for mail carriers
This is the only category of post office jobs that is definitely not going to experience any decline through 2018. Postal service mail carriers usually start early morning and spend their day delivering mail. Appointment in this category of post office jobs is typically delayed and it may be a couple of years before your call comes through after passing the examination for mail carriers. The examination for mail carriers includes a written examination, a physical examination, a criminal-history review, and a record of safe driving.
Casual or part-time post office jobs mostly belong to this category. Applicants who have passed their examination need to check at their nearest post offices periodically for vacancies as their eligibility on basis of an examination expires after two years.
Post office jobs in the category of mail carriers involve huge numbers of people and as of 2008, the number of people engaged as postal service mail carriers were 343, 300 according to BLS. The earnings in this category is also healthy with the median annual wages being close to $50, 000.
