Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary
The median pay for a postal service mail carriers in Rhode Island is $63,610/year ($30.58/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.77), that's roughly $62,504 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,544/month, about 37.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Rhode Island. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $64K get you in Rhode Island?
About postal service mail carriers
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What this looks like in Rhode Island
Postal service mail carriers pay in Rhode Island tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,544/month, which is 36.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rhode Island
Entry-level postal service mail carriers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Postal Service Mail Carriers salary by metro in Rhode Island
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick | $64K | +1% | 1,830 |
Compare to other states
Track postal service mail carriers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rhode Island numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a postal service mail carrier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rhode Island?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 36.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,544/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Rhode Island?
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 $1,544/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Rhode Island?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Rhode Island compare to the national average for postal service mail carriers?
Rhode Island pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do postal service mail carriers make in Rhode Island?
The median is $63,610 a year, that works out to about $31 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 $64K enough to live in Rhode Island?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,261/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,544/month, which eats 36.2% 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has a Regional Price Parity of 101.77 (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 $62,504 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.