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What does a postal service clerk do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read

Postal service clerks must have skills in maintaining records, monitoring mail flow through a sorting machine, sorting mail by hand. They must also have knowledge of postal regulations and understanding of shipping procedures for competitors like UPS, FedEx and other carriers. Those who choose this career path will need at least a high school diploma or GED. They will be required to directly serve customers by selling postal services and mailing supplies, money, and postal stationery.

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Postal service clerk responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real postal service clerk resumes:

  • Manage $24K official mail account, expertly track expenditures ultimately saving the DoD $1K with little to no supervision.
  • Ensure all USPS machinery and equipment function efficiently in optimal condition.
  • Train new mail clerks on packing, inspecting and IRT, fostering teamwork and utilizing leadership skills.

Postal service clerk skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Postal Service Clerks are proficient in Place Packages, Load Trucks, and Postal Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Postal Service Clerks that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Place Packages, 18%

    Place packages and letters in mailbox and secure with mailbox flap.

  • Load Trucks, 16%

    Load and unload trucks with postal mail and equipment.

  • Postal Service, 14%

    Worked a temporary assignment with the Postal Service processing bulk mail breakdown and distribution, during the Christmas holiday period.

  • Customer Support, 9%

    Provide direct sales and customer support services in a retail environment.

  • ZIP Codes, 5%

    Process and sort mail from various zip codes, to ensure that the mail makes it to it's desired destination.

  • USPS, 4%

    Pick up all the express mail from a USPS plant and deliver it to the Kansas City area post offices.

Most postal service clerks use their skills in "place packages," "load trucks," and "postal service" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential postal service clerk responsibilities here:

Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a postal service clerk to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what postal service clerks do because "postal service workers, particularly clerks, regularly interact with customers." Additionally, a postal service clerk resume shows how postal service clerks use customer-service skills: "process and perform distribution of a variety of products.provide customer support services. "

Most common postal service clerk skills

The three companies that hire the most postal service clerks are:

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Compare different postal service clerks

Postal service clerk vs. Parcel assistant

Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.

The annual salary of parcel assistants is $44,760 lower than the average salary of postal service clerks.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both postal service clerk and parcel assistant positions are skilled in place packages, load trucks, and zip codes.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a postal service clerk are more likely to require skills like "postal service," "customer support," "usps," and "federal regulations." On the other hand, a job as a parcel assistant requires skills like "pallets," "fedex," "pallet jack," and "unload trucks." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Parcel assistants tend to make the most money working in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $29,114. In contrast, postal service clerks make the biggest average salary, $81,282, in the real estate industry.The education levels that parcel assistants earn slightly differ from postal service clerks. In particular, parcel assistants are 2.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a postal service clerk. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Postal service clerk vs. Bulk mail technician

A window clerk is responsible for performing various tasks in a post office, like receiving letters and parcels, selling revenue postage stamps, and examining mail for correct postage related tasks. A window clerk is also expected to help customers with shipments. They may also distribute post office packages and mail. This job requires a diploma.

Bulk mail technician positions earn lower pay than postal service clerk roles. They earn a $42,784 lower salary than postal service clerks per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both postal service clerks and bulk mail technicians have skills such as "zip codes," "usps," and "federal regulations. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, postal service clerk responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "place packages," "load trucks," "postal service," and "customer support." Meanwhile, a bulk mail technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "r," "business mail," "customer service," and "gmp." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Bulk mail technicians earn similar levels of education than postal service clerks in general. They're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Postal service clerk vs. Clerk

On average scale, clerks bring in lower salaries than postal service clerks. In fact, they earn a $41,461 lower salary per year.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, postal service clerks are more likely to have skills like "place packages," "load trucks," "postal service," and "customer support." But a clerk is more likely to have skills like "basic math," "math," "data entry," and "customer service."

Clerks earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $31,380. Postal service clerks earn the highest pay from the real estate industry, with an average salary of $81,282.clerks typically earn similar educational levels compared to postal service clerks. Specifically, they're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Postal service clerk vs. Window clerk

Window clerks typically earn lower pay than postal service clerks. On average, window clerks earn a $8,956 lower salary per year.While both postal service clerks and window clerks complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like postal service, customer support, and zip codes, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A postal service clerk uses "place packages," "load trucks," "processing equipment," and "ran." Window clerks are more likely to have duties that require skills in "customer service," "computer system," "direct sales," and "bank deposits. "window clerks enjoy the best pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $67,236. For comparison, postal service clerks earn the highest salary in the real estate industry.The average resume of window clerks showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to postal service clerks. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of postal service clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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