Postal Service Mail Carriers Salary
The median pay for a postal service mail carriers in Texas is $60,550/year ($29.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $66,182 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 33.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Texas?
About postal service mail carriers
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What this looks like in Texas
Postal service mail carriers pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,415/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level postal service mail carriers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Postal Service Mail Carriers salary by metro in Texas
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | $64K | +6% | 90 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $64K | +6% | 540 |
| El Paso | $63K | +3% | 620 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $62K | +3% | 6,660 |
| Lubbock | $62K | +3% | 330 |
| Corpus Christi | $62K | +3% | 370 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $62K | +3% | 7,100 |
| Amarillo | $61K | +1% | 300 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $61K | +0% | 1,970 |
| Sherman-Denison | $61K | +0% | 150 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $60K | -1% | 2,030 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $60K | -1% | 270 |
| Midland | $60K | -1% | 140 |
| Tyler | $59K | -3% | 300 |
| Killeen-Temple | $59K | -3% | 400 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $58K | -4% | 470 |
| Abilene | $58K | -4% | 180 |
| Laredo | $58K | -5% | 210 |
| Wichita Falls | $58K | -5% | 160 |
| Longview | $58K | -5% | 330 |
| San Angelo | $57K | -6% | 100 |
| Odessa | $57K | -6% | 140 |
| Waco | $56K | -7% | 360 |
| Texarkana | $56K | -8% | 180 |
| College Station-Bryan | $55K | -8% | 280 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a postal service mail carrier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 33.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new postal service mail carriers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,543/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for postal service mail carriers?
Texas pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do postal service mail carriers make in Texas?
The median is $60,550 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,390, and experienced postal service mail carriers can clear $81,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,224/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 33.5% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $66,182 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.