Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary
The median pay for a postal service mail carriers in California is $62,090/year ($29.85/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $58,498 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 61% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $62K get you in California?
About postal service mail carriers
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What this looks like in California
Postal service mail carriers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 59.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level postal service mail carriers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Postal Service Mail Carriers salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa | $67K | +8% | 130 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $66K | +7% | 670 |
| Salinas | $64K | +3% | 280 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $64K | +3% | 2,000 |
| Merced | $64K | +3% | 200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $64K | +3% | 10,940 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $64K | +3% | 4,730 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $64K | +2% | 600 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $63K | +2% | 2,820 |
| Modesto | $62K | +0% | 400 |
| Yuba City | $62K | -0% | 130 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $62K | -0% | 3,130 |
| Fresno | $62K | -0% | 830 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $62K | -0% | 1,520 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $62K | -0% | 230 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $61K | -2% | 340 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $60K | -4% | 510 |
| Vallejo | $59K | -5% | 410 |
| Chico | $58K | -7% | 180 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $58K | -7% | 260 |
| Redding | $58K | -7% | 130 |
| Visalia | $57K | -8% | 330 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $57K | -9% | 90 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $57K | -9% | 630 |
| El Centro | $56K | -10% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track postal service mail carriers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a postal service mail carrier afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 59.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for postal service mail carriers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new postal service mail carriers typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,587/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 96% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is postal service mail carrier a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for postal service mail carriers?
California pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do postal service mail carriers make in California?
The median is $62,090 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,120, and experienced postal service mail carriers can clear $81,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,155/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 59.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a postal service mail carriers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median postal service mail carriers salary is worth about $58,498 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do postal service mail carriers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.