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Postal Service Mail Carriers

Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.

What you’d do

  • Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt.
  • Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork.
  • Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes.
  • Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence.
  • Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks.
  • Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail.
  • Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office.
  • Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Speaking
  • Time Management
  • Coordination

How to get there

Little to some preparation: usually a high school diploma or GED, though some jobs do not need one

Also called

  • City Letter Carrier
  • Letter Carrier
  • Mail Carrier
  • Rural Carrier Associate (RCA)
  • City Carrier
  • City Carrier Assistant (CCA)

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