182 metro areas
Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator, Except Postal Service Salary by City (2026)
Mail clerks and mail machine operators earn the most in San Francisco, CA, an average of $52,100 a year, against $41,650 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Duluth, MN-WI ($54,720 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $41,650BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $52,100San Francisco, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $54,720Duluth, MN-WI
- Metro areas
- 182With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for mail clerks and mail machine operators
Top 10 metro areas
- San Francisco, CA$52,100
- Seattle, WA$50,960
- Boston, MA-NH$50,230
- Jacksonville, FL$50,190
- San Jose, CA$49,920
- Springfield, MA$49,480
- Duluth, MN-WI$48,570
- Sacramento, CA$48,380
- Trenton, NJ$48,110
- Mankato, MN$47,130
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $52,100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,960 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $50,230 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $50,190 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $49,920 |
| Springfield, MA | $49,480 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $48,570 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $48,380 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $48,110 |
| Mankato, MN | $47,130 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Duluth, MN-WI$48,570 nominal$54,720
- Mankato, MN$47,130 nominal$51,820
- Springfield, MA$49,480 nominal$51,510
- St. Cloud, MN$44,680 nominal$50,990
- Jacksonville, FL$50,190 nominal$50,450
- Brownsville, TX$42,000 nominal$48,850
- Trenton, NJ$48,110 nominal$46,630
- Boston, MA-NH$50,230 nominal$46,390
- Provo, UT$45,490 nominal$46,310
- Huntsville, AL$43,010 nominal$46,210
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Duluth, MN-WI | $54,720 |
| Mankato, MN | $51,820 |
| Springfield, MA | $51,510 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $50,990 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $50,450 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $48,850 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $46,630 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,390 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $46,310 |
| Huntsville, AL | $46,210 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator, Except Postal Service salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $52,100 | $41,970 | $57,080 | $45,060 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $50,960 | $42,240 | $55,270 | $45,850 |
| 3 | Boston, MA-NH | $50,230 | $38,330 | $56,100 | $46,390 |
| 4 | Jacksonville, FL | $50,190 | $34,170 | $58,090 | $50,450 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $49,920 | $37,960 | $55,810 | $45,210 |
| 6 | Springfield, MA | $49,480 | $40,000 | $54,140 | $51,510 |
| 7 | Duluth, MN-WI | $48,570 | $36,130 | $54,680 | $54,720 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | $48,380 | $37,130 | $53,910 | $45,350 |
| 9 | Trenton, NJ | $48,110 | $38,710 | $52,730 | $46,630 |
| 10 | Mankato, MN | $47,130 | $38,150 | $51,540 | $51,820 |
| 11 | Worcester, MA | $47,070 | $38,270 | $51,400 | $45,910 |
| 12 | New Haven, CT | $46,280 | $38,000 | $50,360 | $44,260 |
| 13 | Bridgeport, CT | $46,160 | $39,640 | $49,360 | $43,200 |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $46,110 | $32,760 | $52,690 | $45,650 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $46,110 | $39,000 | $49,610 | $45,710 |
| 16 | New York, NY-NJ | $45,970 | $35,960 | $50,900 | $40,840 |
| 17 | Los Angeles, CA | $45,930 | $37,230 | $50,230 | $40,440 |
| 18 | Provo, UT | $45,490 | $36,380 | $49,960 | $46,310 |
| 19 | Santa Rosa, CA | $45,260 | $37,710 | $48,960 | $41,990 |
| 20 | Salem, OR | $45,180 | $33,380 | $51,000 | $43,590 |
| 21 | Anchorage, AK | $45,050 | $35,110 | $49,960 | $42,730 |
| 22 | Hartford, CT | $44,990 | $37,480 | $48,670 | $43,790 |
| 23 | Carson City, NV | $44,910 | $35,400 | $49,610 | $45,770 |
| 24 | Oxnard, CA | $44,890 | $37,040 | $48,730 | $40,610 |
| 25 | Portland, ME | $44,840 | $39,500 | $47,490 | $44,020 |
| 26 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $44,800 | $36,820 | $48,760 | $42,740 |
| 27 | St. Cloud, MN | $44,680 | $37,020 | $48,460 | $50,990 |
| 28 | Denver, CO | $44,640 | $37,040 | $48,360 | $42,200 |
| 29 | Visalia, CA | $44,620 | $35,090 | $49,320 | $44,700 |
| 30 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $44,490 | $33,550 | $49,880 | $40,860 |
| 31 | San Diego, CA | $44,370 | $37,250 | $47,880 | $39,660 |
| 32 | Kingston, NY | $44,140 | $36,860 | $47,740 | $43,830 |
| 33 | Baltimore, MD | $43,870 | $35,960 | $47,760 | $41,990 |
| 34 | Burlington, VT | $43,740 | $36,690 | $47,220 | $43,330 |
| 35 | York, PA | $43,640 | $35,240 | $47,780 | $45,460 |
| 36 | Portland, OR-WA | $43,620 | $35,210 | $47,760 | $41,380 |
| 37 | Tallahassee, FL | $43,330 | $32,450 | $48,710 | $46,140 |
| 38 | Huntsville, AL | $43,010 | $32,090 | $48,400 | $46,210 |
| 39 | Albany, NY | $42,700 | $34,050 | $46,970 | $42,890 |
| 40 | Colorado Springs, CO | $42,680 | $32,160 | $47,860 | $42,380 |
| 41 | Waterbury, CT | $42,640 | $36,420 | $45,700 | $42,730 |
| 42 | Syracuse, NY | $42,620 | $35,730 | $46,030 | $44,520 |
| 43 | Providence, RI-MA | $42,560 | $36,360 | $45,590 | $41,820 |
| 44 | Riverside, CA | $42,560 | $34,780 | $46,400 | $39,980 |
| 45 | Lexington Park, MD | $42,200 | $31,570 | $47,440 | $41,880 |
| 46 | Bozeman, MT | $42,120 | $36,900 | $44,700 | $41,090 |
| 47 | Stockton, CA | $42,120 | $35,210 | $45,510 | $40,080 |
| 48 | Columbus, OH | $42,100 | $35,280 | $45,470 | $44,100 |
| 49 | Brownsville, TX | $42,000 | $35,510 | $45,200 | $48,850 |
| 50 | Austin, TX | $41,950 | $29,760 | $47,960 | $42,780 |
| 51 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $41,930 | $34,300 | $45,700 | $38,320 |
| 52 | Omaha, NE-IA | $41,830 | $34,590 | $45,410 | $45,510 |
| 53 | Manchester, NH | $41,790 | $33,470 | $45,860 | $39,550 |
| 54 | Bellingham, WA | $41,770 | $37,210 | $44,030 | $40,420 |
| 55 | Cape Coral, FL | $41,640 | $31,280 | $46,720 | $40,680 |
| 56 | Boise City, ID | $41,580 | $33,860 | $45,390 | $42,260 |
| 57 | Fayetteville, AR | $41,580 | $34,820 | $44,890 | $45,520 |
| 58 | Olympia, WA | $41,580 | $36,150 | $44,260 | $40,110 |
| 59 | Albuquerque, NM | $41,560 | $35,090 | $44,740 | $43,500 |
| 60 | Chicago, IL-IN | $41,410 | $34,420 | $44,840 | $39,970 |
| 61 | Durham, NC | $41,390 | $31,970 | $46,050 | $42,420 |
| 62 | Ann Arbor, MI | $41,230 | $31,620 | $45,950 | $40,870 |
| 63 | Lansing, MI | $41,180 | $34,200 | $44,640 | $43,350 |
| 64 | Cleveland, OH | $41,060 | $32,740 | $45,160 | $43,720 |
| 65 | Greenville, SC | $41,060 | $33,530 | $44,760 | $44,030 |
| 66 | Tampa, FL | $41,020 | $33,470 | $44,740 | $40,660 |
| 67 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $40,930 | $33,800 | $44,470 | $39,910 |
| 68 | Grand Rapids, MI | $40,850 | $33,050 | $44,680 | $42,750 |
| 69 | Rochester, NY | $40,830 | $34,590 | $43,930 | $42,080 |
| 70 | Buffalo, NY | $40,790 | $34,240 | $44,010 | $42,560 |
| 71 | Iowa City, IA | $40,790 | $29,740 | $46,240 | $44,570 |
| 72 | Orlando, FL | $40,750 | $32,950 | $44,600 | $40,180 |
| 73 | Indianapolis, IN | $40,730 | $32,280 | $44,890 | $42,560 |
| 74 | North Port, FL | $40,730 | $33,320 | $44,390 | $39,770 |
| 75 | Spokane, WA | $40,710 | $36,280 | $42,890 | $40,570 |
| 76 | Madison, WI | $40,660 | $29,790 | $46,030 | $41,790 |
| 77 | Tucson, AZ | $40,660 | $34,570 | $43,680 | $41,960 |
| 78 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $40,620 | $34,070 | $43,850 | $36,610 |
| 79 | Lincoln, NE | $40,600 | $32,990 | $44,370 | $44,330 |
| 80 | Las Vegas, NV | $40,520 | $30,240 | $45,570 | $40,430 |
| 81 | State College, PA | $40,520 | $32,030 | $44,680 | $41,880 |
| 82 | Bakersfield, CA | $40,500 | $34,320 | $43,560 | $40,140 |
| 83 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $40,500 | $32,200 | $44,570 | $42,470 |
| 84 | Champaign, IL | $40,460 | $33,530 | $43,850 | $43,640 |
| 85 | Gulfport, MS | $40,310 | $30,040 | $45,360 | $44,790 |
| 86 | Harrisburg, PA | $40,290 | $32,010 | $44,370 | $40,840 |
| 87 | San Antonio, TX | $40,190 | $31,510 | $44,450 | $42,430 |
| 88 | Phoenix, AZ | $40,160 | $34,400 | $43,010 | $38,870 |
| 89 | Utica, NY | $39,960 | $33,880 | $42,970 | $43,120 |
| 90 | Raleigh, NC | $39,940 | $31,530 | $44,080 | $40,690 |
| 91 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $39,870 | $32,880 | $43,310 | $43,080 |
| 92 | Oklahoma City, OK | $39,870 | $28,430 | $45,510 | $44,100 |
| 93 | Columbia, SC | $39,850 | $33,380 | $43,040 | $42,550 |
| 94 | Fort Wayne, IN | $39,850 | $30,410 | $44,510 | $43,050 |
| 95 | Fresno, CA | $39,850 | $34,380 | $42,540 | $39,010 |
| 96 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $39,810 | $32,720 | $43,310 | $40,890 |
| 97 | Bloomington, IL | $39,790 | $34,440 | $42,410 | $42,540 |
| 98 | Fargo, ND-MN | $39,790 | $34,510 | $42,410 | $43,790 |
| 99 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $39,770 | $33,530 | $42,850 | $44,700 |
| 100 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $39,750 | $33,430 | $42,870 | $41,800 |
| 101 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $39,730 | $33,860 | $42,600 | $43,840 |
| 102 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $39,710 | $31,820 | $43,580 | $42,660 |
| 103 | Charleston, SC | $39,690 | $31,800 | $43,600 | $39,310 |
| 104 | Dallas, TX | $39,690 | $32,240 | $43,350 | $38,500 |
| 105 | Binghamton, NY | $39,620 | $33,050 | $42,870 | $42,670 |
| 106 | Helena, MT | $39,540 | $35,840 | $41,350 | $41,330 |
| 107 | Dayton, OH | $39,480 | $28,370 | $44,950 | $42,590 |
| 108 | Birmingham, AL | $39,460 | $31,620 | $43,330 | $43,060 |
| 109 | Killeen, TX | $39,350 | $29,270 | $44,300 | $43,180 |
| 110 | Oshkosh, WI | $39,330 | $34,630 | $41,640 | $42,320 |
| 111 | Columbia, MO | $39,250 | $33,800 | $41,910 | $43,890 |
| 112 | South Bend, IN-MI | $39,150 | $35,300 | $41,060 | $42,160 |
| 113 | Akron, OH | $38,960 | $32,280 | $42,270 | $41,730 |
| 114 | Milwaukee, WI | $38,900 | $29,680 | $43,430 | $40,130 |
| 115 | Scranton, PA | $38,880 | $28,000 | $44,240 | $41,560 |
| 116 | Augusta, GA-SC | $38,850 | $28,180 | $44,100 | $42,270 |
| 117 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $38,850 | $31,160 | $42,640 | $42,150 |
| 118 | Pittsburgh, PA | $38,850 | $30,330 | $43,060 | $41,040 |
| 119 | Lancaster, PA | $38,830 | $29,620 | $43,390 | $39,520 |
| 120 | Spartanburg, SC | $38,750 | $31,890 | $42,120 | $42,560 |
| 121 | Detroit, MI | $38,650 | $32,930 | $41,450 | $38,540 |
| 122 | Richmond, VA | $38,630 | $28,020 | $43,870 | $39,480 |
| 123 | Youngstown, OH | $38,600 | $30,600 | $42,540 | $44,170 |
| 124 | Peoria, IL | $38,560 | $32,180 | $41,700 | $42,270 |
| 125 | Fayetteville, NC | $38,460 | $31,930 | $41,680 | $41,810 |
| 126 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $38,440 | $30,370 | $42,430 | $39,250 |
| 127 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $38,380 | $31,570 | $41,750 | $43,410 |
| 128 | Houston, TX | $38,360 | $28,480 | $43,220 | $38,890 |
| 129 | Des Moines, IA | $38,270 | $31,180 | $41,750 | $41,730 |
| 130 | Deltona, FL | $38,210 | $30,760 | $41,890 | $38,450 |
| 131 | Canton, OH | $38,190 | $31,760 | $41,370 | $42,720 |
| 132 | Little Rock, AR | $38,150 | $30,100 | $42,120 | $42,690 |
| 133 | Pensacola, FL | $38,130 | $30,370 | $41,930 | $39,020 |
| 134 | Amarillo, TX | $38,020 | $28,970 | $42,470 | $41,410 |
| 135 | Evansville, IN | $37,840 | $32,090 | $40,640 | $41,340 |
| 136 | Atlanta, GA | $37,790 | $28,390 | $42,410 | $37,770 |
| 137 | Billings, MT | $37,770 | $33,010 | $40,120 | $40,380 |
| 138 | New Orleans, LA | $37,730 | $32,510 | $40,290 | $40,750 |
| 139 | Lexington, KY | $37,590 | $31,100 | $40,790 | $40,470 |
| 140 | Wilmington, NC | $37,560 | $27,640 | $42,450 | $38,950 |
| 141 | Nashville, TN | $37,500 | $30,740 | $40,850 | $38,930 |
| 142 | Columbus, GA-AL | $37,440 | $32,660 | $39,810 | $41,930 |
| 143 | Green Bay, WI | $37,420 | $27,390 | $42,370 | $40,200 |
| 144 | Kalamazoo, MI | $37,420 | $32,590 | $39,790 | $39,460 |
| 145 | Asheville, NC | $37,290 | $28,140 | $41,810 | $38,640 |
| 146 | Toledo, OH | $37,270 | $29,660 | $41,020 | $40,750 |
| 147 | Jackson, MS | $37,190 | $26,770 | $42,310 | $41,760 |
| 148 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $37,110 | $31,490 | $39,850 | $39,410 |
| 149 | Winston, NC | $37,090 | $30,560 | $40,310 | $40,300 |
| 150 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $36,920 | $30,830 | $39,920 | $36,930 |
| 151 | Rapid City, SD | $36,880 | $30,600 | $39,980 | $41,360 |
| 152 | Lakeland, FL | $36,860 | $30,720 | $39,870 | $37,940 |
| 153 | Reading, PA | $36,840 | $29,060 | $40,640 | $37,960 |
| 154 | Springfield, MO | $36,710 | $31,010 | $39,520 | $41,440 |
| 155 | Lynchburg, VA | $36,590 | $28,310 | $40,660 | $40,950 |
| 156 | Waco, TX | $36,550 | $27,330 | $41,080 | $39,490 |
| 157 | Hickory, NC | $36,420 | $27,540 | $40,790 | $41,160 |
| 158 | Tulsa, OK | $36,340 | $26,960 | $40,960 | $40,730 |
| 159 | Montgomery, AL | $36,320 | $28,600 | $40,100 | $40,500 |
| 160 | Cheyenne, WY | $36,300 | $29,720 | $39,540 | $37,620 |
| 161 | Springfield, IL | $35,920 | $31,200 | $38,250 | $38,730 |
| 162 | Davenport, IA-IL | $35,730 | $29,680 | $38,730 | $40,110 |
| 163 | Roanoke, VA | $35,690 | $26,670 | $40,120 | $38,120 |
| 164 | Topeka, KS | $35,630 | $28,120 | $39,330 | $40,110 |
| 165 | Greensboro, NC | $35,570 | $27,680 | $39,440 | $38,300 |
| 166 | Slidell, LA | $35,440 | $29,140 | $38,540 | $38,220 |
| 167 | Wichita, KS | $35,360 | $27,270 | $39,330 | $39,750 |
| 168 | Knoxville, TN | $35,300 | $27,410 | $39,190 | $38,130 |
| 169 | Jefferson City, MO | $35,210 | $28,600 | $38,480 | $40,020 |
| 170 | Appleton, WI | $35,150 | $27,160 | $39,080 | $38,030 |
| 171 | Lubbock, TX | $34,920 | $28,160 | $38,270 | $38,240 |
| 172 | Savannah, GA | $34,650 | $28,520 | $37,670 | $36,390 |
| 173 | Shreveport, LA | $34,170 | $27,660 | $37,380 | $40,310 |
| 174 | El Paso, TX | $33,920 | $24,000 | $38,810 | $37,730 |
| 175 | Baton Rouge, LA | $33,780 | $25,250 | $38,000 | $37,210 |
| 176 | Traverse City, MI | $33,570 | $26,330 | $37,150 | $35,950 |
| 177 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $33,180 | $25,830 | $36,820 | $36,280 |
| 178 | Logan, UT-ID | $32,880 | $27,790 | $35,380 | $34,280 |
| 179 | McAllen, TX | $31,120 | $22,420 | $35,400 | $36,230 |
| 180 | Charleston, WV | $31,010 | $23,110 | $34,900 | $34,950 |
| 181 | San Juan, PR | $30,350 | $21,840 | $34,530 | N/A |
| 182 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $30,060 | $25,460 | $32,320 | $34,770 |
More
More on mail clerks and mail machine operators
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Mail Clerk and Mail Machine Operator, Except Postal Service salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays mail clerks and mail machine operators the most?
San Francisco, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $52,100 a year, followed by Seattle, WA ($50,960), Boston, MA-NH ($50,230), Jacksonville, FL ($50,190). The national mean is $41,650 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do mail clerks and mail machine operators earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Duluth, MN-WI ($54,720 at national prices, $48,570 nominal), Mankato, MN ($51,820 at national prices, $47,130 nominal), Springfield, MA ($51,510 at national prices, $49,480 nominal).
How much do mail clerks and mail machine operators make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $45,970; Los Angeles, CA: $45,930; Chicago, IL-IN: $41,410; Dallas, TX: $39,690; Houston, TX: $38,360 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do mail clerks and mail machine operators earn the least?
Of the 182 metro areas with their own estimate, Kingsport, TN-VA has the lowest mean wage, $30,060. At local prices that is worth $34,770.