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Salary comparison

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs. Office Clerks, General: Who Earns More?

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss out-earn Office Clerks, Generals by $13K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss land at $58,470 and Office Clerks, Generals at $45,010. The education gap is real: postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operator programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while office clerks, general programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss is District of Columbia ($66,750); for Office Clerks, Generals it's District of Columbia ($55,040).

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Office Clerks, General
Median salary
$58,470
$45,010
Hourly rate
$28.11/hr
$21.64/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$45,530
$30,310
Senior level (90th %)
$75,280
$64,680
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
105,200
2,464,940
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Office & Admin
Office & Admin
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators median pay.

State
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Office Clerks, General
District of Columbia
$66,750
$55,040
New Jersey
$60,530
$48,570
North Dakota
$59,840
$50,160
Minnesota
$59,740
$47,840
Washington
$59,490
$50,500
California
$59,490
$48,460
Vermont
$59,490
$48,310
Rhode Island
$59,490
$47,830
Colorado
$58,470
$53,550
Massachusetts
$58,470
$49,940
Connecticut
$58,470
$48,280
Maryland
$58,470
$47,270
New Hampshire
$58,300
$49,020
Oregon
$57,890
$49,910
Alaska
$55,350
$51,890

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss or Office Clerks, Generals?

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss earn more nationally. The median is $58,470 for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss versus $45,010 for Office Clerks, Generals, a difference of $13K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators or Office Clerks, General?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators or Office Clerks, General?

Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Office Clerks, General requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss at $66,750/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs. Office Clerks, General pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss earn $66,750 vs. $55,040 for Office Clerks, Generals. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators salary breakdownView →Full Office Clerks, General salary breakdownView →Best cities for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operatorss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Office Clerks, Generals by take-home payExplore →How to become a postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operatorsGuide →How to become a office clerks, generalGuide →