Pay by state · 53 states
Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator Salary by State (2026)
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators earn the most in District of Columbia at $66,750 a year and the least in Indiana at $48,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $58,470. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $66,750District of Columbia
- National median
- $58,470BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $48,880Indiana
- States reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $66,750 | $53,290 | $75,280 | 400 | $60,736 |
| 2 | SDSouth Dakota | $61,570 | $55,350 | $71,930 | 210 | $69,503 |
| 3 | GUGuam | $60,530 | $56,390 | $66,750 | 30 | N/A |
| 4 | IAIowa | $60,530 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 1,040 | $68,971 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $60,530 | $50,770 | $75,280 | 3,660 | $55,632 |
| 6 | WYWyoming | $60,530 | $54,330 | $75,030 | 120 | $65,303 |
| 7 | NDNorth Dakota | $59,840 | $50,770 | $71,930 | 240 | $67,267 |
| 8 | MNMinnesota | $59,740 | $54,330 | $70,890 | 1,840 | $60,575 |
| 9 | CACalifornia | $59,490 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 10,090 | $53,730 |
| 10 | HIHawaii | $59,490 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 370 | $54,106 |
| 11 | MEMaine | $59,490 | $52,670 | $75,030 | 440 | $61,298 |
| 12 | MIMichigan | $59,490 | $52,310 | $75,030 | 3,370 | $61,829 |
| 13 | NENebraska | $59,490 | $52,670 | $70,890 | 640 | $66,024 |
| 14 | RIRhode Island | $59,490 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 600 | $58,164 |
| 15 | VTVermont | $59,490 | $54,330 | $75,030 | 110 | $60,730 |
| 16 | WAWashington | $59,490 | $52,310 | $75,030 | 1,770 | $55,591 |
| 17 | ARArkansas | $58,470 | $52,310 | $69,850 | 570 | $67,256 |
| 18 | COColorado | $58,470 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 1,910 | $56,738 |
| 19 | CTConnecticut | $58,470 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 1,020 | $56,433 |
| 20 | DEDelaware | $58,470 | $52,310 | $75,030 | 410 | $58,582 |
| 21 | LALouisiana | $58,470 | $50,770 | $68,810 | 1,200 | $66,287 |
| 22 | MDMaryland | $58,470 | $50,460 | $75,030 | 2,430 | $55,707 |
| 23 | MAMassachusetts | $58,470 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 2,910 | $55,287 |
| 24 | NVNevada | $58,470 | $49,050 | $67,790 | 920 | $58,482 |
| 25 | NMNew Mexico | $58,470 | $50,460 | $75,030 | 350 | $63,408 |
| 26 | NYNew York | $58,470 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 8,290 | $54,179 |
| 27 | OHOhio | $58,470 | $50,770 | $67,790 | 3,700 | $63,024 |
| 28 | OKOklahoma | $58,470 | $50,460 | $69,850 | 790 | $66,562 |
| 29 | WVWest Virginia | $58,470 | $54,330 | $67,790 | 410 | $65,332 |
| 30 | WIWisconsin | $58,470 | $52,670 | $75,030 | 1,420 | $62,139 |
| 31 | SCSouth Carolina | $58,390 | $50,460 | $68,810 | 1,280 | $62,283 |
| 32 | ILIllinois | $58,300 | $48,880 | $75,030 | 5,370 | $58,324 |
| 33 | NHNew Hampshire | $58,300 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 690 | $55,969 |
| 34 | VAVirginia | $58,300 | $48,880 | $69,850 | 2,420 | $57,663 |
| 35 | OROregon | $57,890 | $50,770 | $70,890 | 1,090 | $56,008 |
| 36 | MSMississippi | $57,800 | $50,770 | $63,670 | 350 | $66,473 |
| 37 | ALAlabama | $57,430 | $50,460 | $67,790 | 1,150 | $64,657 |
| 38 | FLFlorida | $57,430 | $48,880 | $69,850 | 7,240 | $55,534 |
| 39 | IDIdaho | $57,430 | $47,440 | $68,810 | 250 | $60,140 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $57,430 | $48,880 | $67,790 | 950 | $63,699 |
| 41 | MOMissouri | $57,430 | $48,880 | $69,850 | 2,730 | $63,237 |
| 42 | MTMontana | $57,430 | $54,330 | $64,630 | 270 | $60,679 |
| 43 | PAPennsylvania | $57,430 | $50,460 | $71,930 | 5,630 | $58,859 |
| 44 | UTUtah | $57,430 | $48,880 | $69,850 | 860 | $58,090 |
| 45 | PRPuerto Rico | $56,390 | $48,880 | $61,710 | 780 | N/A |
| 46 | TNTennessee | $56,390 | $47,440 | $63,960 | 2,850 | $61,380 |
| 47 | TXTexas | $56,390 | $47,440 | $75,030 | 7,900 | $58,100 |
| 48 | AKAlaska | $55,350 | $47,440 | $61,150 | 230 | $54,074 |
| 49 | AZArizona | $55,350 | $45,530 | $65,710 | 2,180 | $54,978 |
| 50 | NCNorth Carolina | $55,350 | $47,440 | $63,960 | 4,040 | $58,679 |
| 51 | KSKansas | $54,540 | $42,600 | $68,810 | 870 | $60,554 |
| 52 | GAGeorgia | $53,290 | $47,440 | $66,750 | 3,050 | $55,342 |
| 53 | INIndiana | $48,880 | $45,530 | $60,530 | 2,600 | $52,374 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $66,750, while South Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $69,503.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Postal Service Mail Sorter, Processor, and Processing Machine Operator pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators at $66,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by South Dakota ($61,570) and Guam ($60,530).
Which state pays Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators the least?
Indiana reports the lowest median for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators at $48,880 a year, $17,870 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts South Dakota first at $69,503 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $61,570. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.