USPS Mail Handler (Job Description, Good Job, Hours, Duties, Pay + More)

USPS is a federal employer, and they have a great reputation for having good benefits and paying their employees well.

So is the USPS Mail Handler position a good job- how much does it pay, and what are you responsible for on the job?

USPS Mail Handler In [currentyear]

A USPS Mail Handler is a job within USPS that deals mostly with managing incoming and outgoing mail. The typical schedule for a USPS Mail Handler is about 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, averaging out at around 36 hours a week. Most Mail Handlers for USPS start at around $48,750 per year for wages and are responsible for loading mail onto different trucks to be delivered, sorting mail, and preparing batches of mail for distribution.

If you’re interested in becoming a Mail Handler with USPS, be sure to keep reading to see a more in-depth analysis of the job description and requirements for the position!

What Is The Job Description For A USPS Mail Handler?

A job description is essentially a summary of the essential responsibilities, activities, qualifications, and skills for a role.

The job description for a USPS Mail Handler outlines the five various task categories the job deals with: preparing mail, dumping mail, loading containers, moving equipment, and operating vehicles.

The job description also outlines the essential duties and responsibilities of a mail handler:

  • Operates sorting and other machinery to sort packages
  • Operates vehicles for the purpose of loading mail onto trucks
  • Works the front counter of a post office as a clerk to sell stamps, boxes, and other items
  • Works with the general public to answer questions at the post office
  • Organizes mail according to address and location before it is provided to the mail carrier who will actually deliver it
  • Weighs packages and applies the correct postage for customers
  • Ensures that mail brought in by mail carriers is properly routed so that it can get to the correct destination

The USPS Mail Carrier job description also includes a list of required knowledge, skills, and abilities, which are:

  • Demonstrates the ability to work on her or his feet for long periods of time
  • Possesses the ability to lift 50 or more pounds
  • Displays manual dexterity and the ability to use his or her hands quickly in order to achieve the desired result
  • Shows the ability to pay close attention to detail, particularly when working with heavy or dangerous machinery
  • Possess time management skills and the ability to perform more than one task at a time
  • Shows the ability to perform tasks in chronological order and according to a set system or set of rules
  • Displays the ability to almost instantly discern differences and similarities between sets of letters, documents, postcards, and packages

While all of this information can be found online, the only way to access the USPS specific job description is to make an account on their internal job site, called eCareers.

You can find out more about the USPS specific job description and how to make an eCareers account on this page of the USPS website.

Is USPS Mail Handler A Good Job?

How Much Does Shipping A USPS Package To Canada Cost? USPS

Everyone will have at least a slightly different idea of the qualities that make a job a good job, but typically you can assume that a good job is one that pays well, has a good work/life balance, plenty of advancement opportunities, good management, and a positive workplace culture.

Since this information is subjective and hard to gain insight into unless you’ve personally worked in the position, there are several sites dedicated to reviewing jobs.

One of the most reputable is Indeed, which allows employees to rank their workplace, including USPS, based on a myriad of factors- so let’s see what employees have to report.

USPS has 29,533 reviews total, with an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars in terms of employee satisfaction.

Indeed also provides separate ratings for each of the categories we listed above so you can see how different aspects of the job stack up to one another.

The compensation and benefits category is USPS’ highest-rated area, with 3.6 out of 5 stars.

Job security and advancement as well as positive workplace culture are other highly rated areas for USPS, with respective ratings of 3.2 and 3.1 out of 5 stars.

USPS’ work/life balance category shows some room for improvement with 2.9 out of 5 stars, though the lowest-rated category for USPS is management, which has 2.8 out of 5 stars.

Indeed also offers a rating system designed by women, for women to help shed light on whether or not women can expect equal treatment to male counterparts- in this area, about 53% of women said they felt they were treated fairly and would recommend the job to other women.

If you’re interested in seeing individual reviews and stacking up these ratings for yourself, you can visit the Indeed page on USPS here.

What Are The Hours Of A USPS Mail Handler?

The hours for most USPS Mail Handlers vary depending on the post office they work at.

Typically, you can expect to work at least 6 hours a day, usually 6 days a week, so at least 36 hours a week.

For some post offices that are busier, however, you can work up to 60 hour weeks, whereas smaller post offices may only ask you to come in two or three days a week.

This can also vary depending on the number of other mail carriers at the facility you work at, as well as their overall availability.

If you have questions about what your schedule may look like and the timing of different shifts, you can always call your local post office and ask about the positions they’re hiring for and what the typical schedule looks like.

What Are The Duties Of A USPS Mail Handler?

The duties of a Mail Handler can be broken down into five categories: preparing mail, dumping mail, loading containers, moving equipment, and operating vehicles.

The expected duties are known to be somewhat physically demanding, and you need to be prepared to not only interact with both customers and coworkers, but to also be able to fulfill tasks that require heavy lifting and long amounts of time on your feet.

 The full list of USPS Mail Handler duties is included in the job description, which is outlined above.

How Much Do USPS Mail Handlers Get Paid?

The amount Mail Handlers are paid also depends on the post office in which they work, their experience, and how valuable they are to the post office they’re working in.

At a minimum, Mail Handlers are paid $14.92 per hour, which means that Mail Handlers make at least $29,840 per year.

While this is the mandatory minimum Mail Handlers are paid, the average wages are much higher, with Mail Handlers making $48,750 per year or about $25 an hour, assuming you work a typical 40 hour workweek.

Your wages are typically determined once you accept the job offer, so be sure to advocate for yourself in your interviews!

It’s always a good idea to tell the person who’s interviewing you what you’re looking to make and why you’re worth that amount of money.

To know more about USPS, you can also see our posts on USPS assistant rural carrier, USPS city carrier assistant, and USPS automotive technician.

Conclusion

USPS Mail Handlers are responsible for preparing and categorizing mail, as well as loading containers, moving equipment, and operating vehicles to help prepare mail for distribution by mail carriers.

The up-to-date job description for a USPS Mail Handler can only be found on USPS’ internal job board, called eCareers, although you can get a good general outline online.

Being a Mail Handler for USPS is a pretty good job according to Indeed, however there are some areas for improvement such as management and work/life balance.

Mail Handlers make at minimum around $15 an hour, however the average Mail Handler salary is closer to $25 an hour.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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