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Rural carrier associate vs postal carrier

The differences between rural carrier associates and postal carriers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a rural carrier associate has an average salary of $41,259, which is higher than the $36,502 average annual salary of a postal carrier.

The top three skills for a rural carrier associate include delivery sequence, RCA and customer service. The most important skills for a postal carrier are delivery sequence, customer service, and mail delivery.

Rural carrier associate vs postal carrier overview

Rural Carrier AssociatePostal Carrier
Yearly salary$41,259$36,502
Hourly rate$19.84$17.55
Growth rate-6%-6%
Number of jobs19,42116,224
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 29%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age4949
Years of experience--

What does a rural carrier associate do?

A rural carrier associate specializes in picking up and delivering mail or parcels within a particular rural area. They are primarily responsible for ensuring that clients will receive the correct packages on time. Aside from this, they must also coordinate with logistics managers, abide by the traffics laws and regulations, communicate with clients and acquire their signature upon a transaction, and monitor the company vehicle by conducting maintenance checks. Furthermore, a rural carrier associate must maintain an accurate record of all deliveries, even the missed and attempted ones.

What does a postal carrier do?

Postal Carriers deliver packages, parcels, letters, and certified mail to homes and business owners using mail trucks or on foot. They provide mail-in different forms to rural areas,' town,' and cities' businesses and homes. These professionals follow a specific route to collect mail or deliver mail to their owners. Postal Carriers mostly perform their duties by vehicle, or on foot, or by combining these two. Furthermore, these professionals sell various products, such as money orders and stamps, mostly in rural areas.

Rural carrier associate vs postal carrier salary

Rural carrier associates and postal carriers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Rural Carrier AssociatePostal Carrier
Average salary$41,259$36,502
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $80,000Between $21,000 And $61,000
Highest paying CityPortland, OR-
Highest paying stateOregon-
Best paying companyBristol-Myers Squibb-
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between rural carrier associate and postal carrier education

There are a few differences between a rural carrier associate and a postal carrier in terms of educational background:

Rural Carrier AssociatePostal Carrier
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 29%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Rural carrier associate vs postal carrier demographics

Here are the differences between rural carrier associates' and postal carriers' demographics:

Rural Carrier AssociatePostal Carrier
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 38.6% Female, 61.4%Male, 56.0% Female, 44.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.5% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between rural carrier associate and postal carrier duties and responsibilities

Rural carrier associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage problems, conduct RCA investigations and deliver completed documentation.
  • Map appropriate routes using GPS and standard maps.
  • Complete forms, coding memorization, address memorization.
  • Skil at memorization, orderliness, and time management
  • Provide customers with postal information on policies and procedures regarding USPS responsibilities.
  • Provide professional interaction and friendly enthusiasm with USPS customers to establish total customer satisfaction are implemented.
    • Show more

Postal carrier example responsibilities.

  • Manage problems, conduct RCA investigations and deliver completed documentation.
  • Attend bid openings for prospective construction projects and prepared/draft construction contracts in accordance with RCA policies/procedures.
  • Pass testing requirements including speed and accuracy in memorization as well as organizational skills.

Rural carrier associate vs postal carrier skills

Common rural carrier associate skills
  • Delivery Sequence, 20%
  • RCA, 19%
  • Customer Service, 17%
  • Mail Security, 10%
  • Postal Service, 6%
  • Mail Delivery, 4%
Common postal carrier skills
  • Delivery Sequence, 29%
  • Customer Service, 28%
  • Mail Delivery, 8%
  • COD, 6%
  • Postal Service, 5%
  • Necessary Paperwork, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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