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Rural carrier associate salary
Average rural carrier associate salary
$41,259
Rural Carrier Associate Salary Overview
The salary for a Rural Carrier Associate in the United States averages around $41,259 per year, or $20 per hour. This compensation can vary based on several factors including the state of employment, years of experience, and specific job duties. For instance, associates in states like California and New York often see higher wages compared to their counterparts in rural areas.
Regional Salary Variations
In terms of location, states such as Alaska and New Jersey rank among the highest for compensation, with salaries exceeding the national average. Conversely, states with lower living costs may offer salaries that align more closely with the national average. Understanding these regional variations can help potential applicants gauge their earning potential based on geographical preferences.
Career Advancement Opportunities
Additionally, experience plays a crucial role in salary progression. Associates with several years of service may have the opportunity to move into supervisory roles or specialized positions, which can significantly enhance their earning potential. Overall, the career path of a Rural Carrier Associate not only offers stability but also potential for advancement within the postal service.
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Where can a Rural Carrier Associate earn more?
Rural carrier associate salary estimates from across the web
Average rural carrier associate salary by state
The highest-paying states for rural carrier associates are Oregon, Washington, and Montana. The lowest average rural carrier associate salary states are North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for rural carrier associates
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $57,490 | $27.64 |
| 2 | Michigan | $52,467 | $25.22 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $53,238 | $25.60 |
| 4 | Oregon | $65,600 | $31.54 |
| 5 | Montana | $57,198 | $27.50 |
| 6 | Nevada | $49,253 | $23.68 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $51,954 | $24.98 |
| 8 | Idaho | $48,334 | $23.24 |
| 9 | California | $51,298 | $24.66 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $50,440 | $24.25 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $52,941 | $25.45 |
| 12 | Ohio | $49,612 | $23.85 |
| 13 | Colorado | $48,432 | $23.28 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $49,384 | $23.74 |
| 15 | Virginia | $49,607 | $23.85 |
| 16 | New York | $50,923 | $24.48 |
| 17 | Iowa | $48,661 | $23.39 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $45,964 | $22.10 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $44,286 | $21.29 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $48,141 | $23.14 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $49,291 | $23.70 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $49,489 | $23.79 |
| 23 | Vermont | $51,025 | $24.53 |
| 24 | Alaska | $54,962 | $26.42 |
| 25 | Utah | $44,887 | $21.58 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $43,252 | $20.79 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $47,308 | $22.74 |
| 28 | Maryland | $52,278 | $25.13 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $44,696 | $21.49 |
| 30 | Arizona | $44,818 | $21.55 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $49,909 | $23.99 |
| 32 | Missouri | $46,197 | $22.21 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $46,705 | $22.45 |
| 34 | Delaware | $48,278 | $23.21 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $44,436 | $21.36 |
| 36 | Indiana | $40,146 | $19.30 |
| 37 | Kansas | $41,236 | $19.82 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $43,633 | $20.98 |
| 39 | Texas | $40,771 | $19.60 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $38,848 | $18.68 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $39,240 | $18.87 |
| 42 | Georgia | $40,620 | $19.53 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $40,413 | $19.43 |
| 44 | Illinois | $40,550 | $19.50 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $38,237 | $18.38 |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $46,011 | $22.12 |
| 47 | Florida | $38,846 | $18.68 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $38,583 | $18.55 |
| 49 | Maine | $40,120 | $19.29 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $34,217 | $16.45 |
| 51 | Alabama | $37,241 | $17.90 |
Highest paying cities for rural carrier associates
The highest-paying cities for rural carrier associates are Portland, OR, Union City, CA, and Braintree Town, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, OR | $65,919 | $31.69 |
| 2 | Union City, CA | $56,712 | $27.27 |
| 3 | Braintree Town, MA | $53,034 | $25.50 |
| 4 | Carson City, NV | $52,783 | $25.38 |
| 5 | Alexandria, VA | $52,281 | $25.14 |
| 6 | Annapolis, MD | $52,165 | $25.08 |
| 7 | Bismarck, ND | $51,477 | $24.75 |
| 8 | Albany, NY | $50,932 | $24.49 |
| 9 | Menomonee Falls, WI | $50,197 | $24.13 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $49,274 | $23.69 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $48,840 | $23.48 |
| 12 | Jefferson City, MO | $46,000 | $22.12 |
| 13 | Charleston, WV | $45,444 | $21.85 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $41,371 | $19.89 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $40,852 | $19.64 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $40,758 | $19.60 |
| 17 | Knoxville, TN | $39,512 | $19.00 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $38,627 | $18.57 |
| 19 | Columbia, SC | $38,388 | $18.46 |
| 20 | Charlotte, NC | $37,821 | $18.18 |
Rural carrier associate salary details
A rural carrier associate's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $80,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a rural carrier associate's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| Average | $41,259 | $3,438 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying rural carrier associate jobs
The highest paying types of rural carrier associates are postman, rural route carrier, and mail carriers supervisor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery And Mail Sorter | $34,977 | $2,915 | $16.82 | 41,820 |
| Carry Out Clerk | $33,667 | $2,806 | $16.19 | 227,485 |
| Carrier | $37,242 | $3,103 | $17.90 | 17,784 |
| Key Carrier | $32,262 | $2,689 | $15.51 | 82,534 |
| Postal Carrier | $36,502 | $3,042 | $17.55 | 16,224 |
Top companies hiring rural carrier associates now:
Which companies pay rural carrier associates the most?
Rural carrier associate salaries at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average rural carrier associate salary at companies like General Electric and Delaware Valley Community Health are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $119,923 | $57.66 |
| 2 | Novartis | $119,548 | $57.48 |
| 3 | General Electric | $82,037 | $39.44 |
| 4 | Delaware Valley Community Health | $72,862 | $35.03 |
| 5 | W Holding Company | $60,487 | $29.08 |
| 6 | International Rescue Committee | $56,489 | $27.16 |
| 7 | U.S. Bank | $53,846 | $25.89 |
| 8 | Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC | $51,996 | $25.00 |
| 9 | Trilogy Health Services | $42,658 | $20.51 |
| 10 | NORTH | $41,337 | $19.87 |
| 11 | Interface | $40,017 | $19.24 |
| 12 | Eagle Crest Communities | $38,268 | $18.40 |
| 13 | Ace Hardware | $37,087 | $17.83 |
| 14 | Cotiviti | $36,466 | $17.53 |
| 15 | US Post Office | $35,704 | $17.17 |
| 16 | University of Virginia | $35,433 | $17.04 |
| 17 | Robert Half | $32,924 | $15.83 |
| 18 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $32,744 | $15.74 |
| 19 | NEXTAFF | $31,219 | $15.01 |
| 20 | North 40 Outfitters | $31,141 | $14.97 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Rural Carrier Associate salary by industry
The average rural carrier associate salary varies across industries:
- The average rural carrier associate salary in the government industry is $62,373, the highest of any industry.
- The average rural carrier associate salary in the finance industry is $50,517.
- Rural carrier associates in the real estate industry earn an average salary of $35,769, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for rural carrier associates
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $62,373 | $29.99 |
| 2 | Retail | $50,517 | $24.29 |
| 3 | Health Care | $42,123 | $20.25 |
| 4 | Media | $41,360 | $19.88 |
| 5 | Finance | $38,907 | $18.71 |
| 6 | Real Estate | $35,769 | $17.20 |
High paying rural carrier associate jobs
Rural carrier associate salary trends
The average rural carrier associate salary has fallen by $-3,296 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average rural carrier associate earned $44,555 annually, but today, they earn $41,259 a year. That works out to a -12% change in pay for rural carrier associates over the last decade.
Compare rural carrier associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average rural carrier associate salary over time
Compare rural carrier associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Rural carrier associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,300 | $19.84 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | $41,400 | $19.93 | -7.6% |
| 2023 | $44,600 | $21.44 | -3.2% |
| 2022 | $46,000 | $22.14 | -1.9% |
| 2021 | $46,900 | $22.57 | -0.3% |
Recently added rural carrier associate salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get It-Hospitality | Indiana Rural Associate-Remote | WFH | Evansville, IN | 06/29/2025 | $56,182 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Minneapolis, MN | 06/25/2025 | $92,820 |
| Us Bank | RCA Specialist 2 | Owensboro, KY | 06/24/2025 | $41,740 |
| Us Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Irving, TX | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
| Us Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Horsham, PA | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
| Us Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Columbus, OH | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
| Us Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Atlanta, GA | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
| Us Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
| U.S. Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Denver, CO | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
| U.S. Bank | RCA Professional-Consumer & Business Banking Operational Loss | Tempe, AZ | 06/18/2025 | $92,820 |
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