Occupation Details
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service. Includes postal service mail sorters and processors employed by USPS contractors.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$39,010.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$52,310.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$60,660.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
9,230
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
8,610
+-62 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
715
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
-0.1%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
Some Training - Certificate or hands-on training
Experience Requirements
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education Requirements
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
School Programs
School Programs information is not available for this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Transportation
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Addressographs
- Automatic airline assignment systems
- Automatic pallet unloaders
- Barcode scanners
- Compact assignment machines
- Computer data input scanners
- Conveyor belts
- Conveyor sorting systems
- Copy machines
- Delivery point packagers
- Dollies
- Electric material moving tractors
- General purpose mail containers
- Hand-pushed carts
- Laser facsimile machines
- Mail canceling machines
- Mail processing machines
- Mail scales
- Mail sorting machines
- Mail trucks
- Multi-position letter sorting machines
- Optical character readers
- Packaging machines
- Personal computers
- Point of sale workstations
- Postage marking machines
- Small parcel bundle sorter machines
- Voice recognition equipment
Technology
- Address Management System AMS
- Automated Package Processing System APPS
- Barcode reader software
- Delivery Routing System DRS
- Delivery operations information system DOIS
- Directory software
- Electronic Time Clock ETC
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Word
- Multi-line optical character reader OCR software
- NCR Advanced Store
- SAP business and customer relations management software
- Teradata Database
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- sell products or services
- provide customer service
- maintain records, reports, or files
- make minor repairs to mechanical equipment
- inspect machinery or equipment to determine adjustments or repairs needed
- inspect mail preparation or handling machine output for defects
- direct and coordinate activities of workers or staff
- inspect outgoing mail for conformance to standards or accuracy
- conduct training for personnel
- use oral or written communication techniques
- use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
- monitor operation of mail preparation or handling machines
- operate scanner
- operate alpha or numeric mail sorting systems
- process mail through postage machine
- calculate monetary exchange
- measure, weigh, or count products or materials
- sort mail letters or packages
- distribute correspondence or mail
- load, unload, or stack containers, materials, or products
- insert mail into slots of mail rack
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment.
- Check items to ensure that addresses are legible and correct, that sufficient postage has been paid or the appropriate documentation is attached, and that items are in a suitable condition for processing.
- Clear jams in sorting equipment.
- Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines.
- Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.
- Move containers of mail, using equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains".
- Open and label mail containers.
- Load and unload mail trucks, sometimes lifting containers of mail onto equipment that transports items to sorting stations.
- Distribute incoming mail into the correct boxes or pigeonholes.
- Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.
- Rewrap soiled or broken parcels.
- Train new workers.
- Dump sacks of mail onto conveyors for culling and sorting.
- Search directories to find correct addresses for redirected mail.
- Weigh articles to determine required postage.
- Cancel letter or parcel post stamps by hand.
- Accept and check containers of mail from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Postal service workers
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
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