Mail Carrier Salary

Even in today's age of electronic mail, a written word or letter is popular. You can send written mail around the country and outside with the help of postal services. To make sure that your delivery has reached safely on time, the US postal service has its faithful mail carriers. Let's have a look at their job description and something about mail carrier salary.

Mail Carrier

A mail carrier is an employee employed by USPS (United States Postal Service), a corporation owned wholly by the US government. Thus, you can call a mail carrier a government worker who serves the US public and savors the appreciation, recognition and trust of the people of the United Sates. You can also call the mail carrier an indirect brand ambassador of the US government. Unlike many government employees, a mail carrier's job brings him in personal contact with US citizens.

Duties of a Mail Carrier

Most mail carriers first sort, arrange and then deliver mails addressed to homes and business addresses on an assigned route. An average mail carrier arrives at the postal office around 7 am. Then they handle their assignments of daily mail which has already been sorted for each mail carrier route. The daily mail consists of letters, magazines, catalogs and small packages. Mail carriers then arrange the mail in delivery sequence. After arranging the mail, they place it in trays or bundle it with rubber bands. Then they begin their day of collecting and delivering mail. Most mail carriers use the mail van while some also travel by foot. A mail carrier carries a maximum of 35 pounds of mail if he is on foot. Some mail carriers also carry satchel carts to deliver mail, so that they can handle more mail. Mailman get a half hour lunch break and two 10 minutes rest breaks, a mail carrier works steadily until all the mails are delivered. A mailman's route has minimum 500 stops, on which he works alone without any supervision. A mail carrier doesn't simply put mail in the mail box and leave, he also gets signatures for special mails. A mail carrier also collects postage duty and cash or delivery fees from mail receivers. When all the mail is delivered, he returns to the postal office to return the mail collected from street letter boxes, homes and business addresses along with receipt and money. They call it a day after they have punched out on the post office time clock. Not every mail carrier carries mail from door to door. Some have specialized jobs such as delivering parcels, or collecting only mail from letter boxes. Some are routers, who organize mail all day in the post office. Some also have to work as relay drivers who take organized mail to relay boxes, while others are simple mail carriers who organize and deliver it to the right address.

Salary and Qualifications of a Mail Carrier

A mail carrier salary has always been a debatable issue. Their wages and benefits have been achieved through collective bargaining by their union known as National Association of Letter Carriers (NACL). All mail carriers are free to become members. All mail carriers begin their work as a part-time employee. A part-time employee works less than 40 hours, some might work more than that. After a few years, all carriers work for 40 hour per week schedule. As per market research 2010, a newly hired mail carrier earns US$ 17.91 per hour. In about 12 years, a mail carrier reaches at the top of his salary schedule earning US$ 25.36 per hour. So an average mail carrier earns around US$ 46,000, while a rural mail carrier collects US$ 37,000. To become a mail carrier you must be a US citizen and should also be 18 years old. Every candidate has to pass a physical examination and take a standardized test. Contact your nearest post office to check for vacancies.

Well this article on mail carrier salary has expanded my knowledge base about these hardworking people. So next time you see a mailman, be kind enough to say a thank you and offer a glass of water.