Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary
The median pay for a postal service mail carriers in St. Joseph, MO-KS is $59,880/year ($28.79/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.38), which stretches that salary to about $69,322 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,077/month, or 27.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $60K get you in St. Joseph?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Joseph’s Regional Price Parity (86.38). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About postal service mail carriers
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What this looks like in St. Joseph
Postal service mail carriers pay in St. Joseph tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,077/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.38 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for postal service mail carriers in metros near St. Joseph, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $62K | $65K |
| Kansas City | $61K | $66K |
| Springfield | $59K | $66K |
| Joplin | $62K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Joseph, MO-KS
Entry-level postal service mail carriers (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Postal Service Mail Carriers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Postal Service Mail Carriers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $64K | +6% | 930 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +5% | 1,220 |
| Arizona | $62K | +3% | 5,300 |
| California | $62K | +3% | 32,320 |
| New York | $62K | +3% | 20,580 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +3% | 7,630 |
| Virginia | $62K | +3% | 7,900 |
| Nevada | $62K | +3% | 2,530 |
| Illinois | $62K | +3% | 14,730 |
| Maryland | $62K | +3% | 6,420 |
| New Jersey | $61K | +1% | 10,160 |
| Connecticut | $61K | +1% | 4,510 |
| Florida | $61K | +1% | 20,810 |
| Ohio | $61K | +1% | 12,680 |
| South Dakota | $61K | +0% | 850 |
| Texas | $61K | +0% | 26,700 |
| Washington | $60K | -1% | 6,550 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -1% | 11,030 |
| Minnesota | $60K | -1% | 5,890 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | -1% | 1,560 |
| Delaware | $60K | -1% | 1,130 |
| Alaska | $60K | -1% | 450 |
| Hawaii | $60K | -1% | 1,200 |
| Indiana | $60K | -1% | 6,910 |
| Iowa | $60K | -1% | 3,730 |
| Michigan | $60K | -1% | 11,610 |
| Missouri | $60K | -1% | 7,260 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -1% | 2,150 |
| New Mexico | $60K | -1% | 1,570 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -1% | 4,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -1% | 13,900 |
| Utah | $60K | -1% | 2,460 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -1% | 6,470 |
| Wyoming | $60K | -1% | 430 |
| Colorado | $60K | -1% | 5,100 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -1% | 3,030 |
| Oregon | $59K | -2% | 3,760 |
| Montana | $59K | -3% | 830 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -3% | 800 |
| Maine | $59K | -3% | 1,510 |
| Vermont | $59K | -3% | 690 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -3% | 4,640 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -3% | 5,090 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -3% | 7,310 |
| Kansas | $59K | -3% | 3,310 |
| Idaho | $58K | -5% | 1,660 |
| West Virginia | $58K | -5% | 1,850 |
| Georgia | $58K | -5% | 10,790 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -5% | 5,650 |
| Alabama | $58K | -5% | 5,840 |
| Mississippi | $57K | -5% | 3,290 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track postal service mail carriers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a postal service mail carrier afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Joseph?
Yes — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 26.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for postal service mail carriers in St. Joseph?
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 $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 St. Joseph?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does St. Joseph compare to the national average for postal service mail carriers?
St. Joseph pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.38), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do postal service mail carriers make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
The median is $59,880 a year, that works out to about $29 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 $60K enough to live in St. Joseph?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,008/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 26.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a postal service mail carriers salary go in St. Joseph?
St. Joseph has a Regional Price Parity of 86.38 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median postal service mail carriers salary is worth about $69,322 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.