BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasPostal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators

O*NET · 43-5053.00

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.

Also called Assorter · Automation Clerk · CFS Markup Clerk · Computer Forwarding System Markup Clerk (CFS Markup Clerk) · Dead Mail Checker · Distribution Clerk · Distribution Handler · Distributor
41 more

Equipment Operator · File Conversion Operator · Flat Sorter Operator · Flat Sorter Processor · Flat Sorting Machine Clerk (FSM Clerk) · FSM Clerk · General Expeditor · Letter Sorting Machine Operator (LSM Operator) · LSM Operator · Mail Distribution Clerk · Mail Distribution Scheme Examiner · Mail Distributor · Mail Examiner · Mail Forwarding System Markup Clerk · Mail Handler · Mail Handler Assistant · Mail Handler Equipment Operator · Mail Handler Sorter · Mail Opener · Mail Processing Agent · Mail Processing Clerk · Mail Processor · Mail Sorter · Mail Weigher · Mailing Section Clerk · Operations Label Clerk · Package Sorter · Parcel Post Distribution Machine Operator (PDPMO) · PDPMO · Post Office Markup Clerk · Postal Service Mail Processor · Postal Transportation Clerk · Presort Letter Operator · Processor · Small Package and Bundle Sorter Clerk (SPBS Clerk) · Sorter · Sorting Machine Operator · SPBS Clerk · Zip Sorter · ZMT Operator · ZMT Operator (Zip Mail Translator Operator)

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code CRS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CRSConventional · Realistic · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional5.91
  • R Realistic4.60
  • S Social1.83
  • E Enterprising1.66
  • I Investigative1.54
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma13%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent81%
  • Some College Courses6%
Related work experience
None (71%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (55%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (45%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Monitoringbasic3.12.8Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
  • Coordination3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Determine whether a subordinate has a good excuse for being late
  • Speakingbasic3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Active Listeningbasic2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Operations Monitoring2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Time Management2.92.5Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.92.1Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Operation and Control2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Social Perceptiveness2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Complex Problem Solving2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
Show the other 23
  • Service Orientation2.51.9Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Instructing2.32.4Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Quality Control Analysis2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Writingbasic2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Active Learningbasic2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Systems Analysis2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Troubleshooting2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Persuasion2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Mathematicsbasic2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Systems Evaluation1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Negotiation1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Equipment Maintenance1.60.6
  • Programming1.60.6
  • Operations Analysis1.50.6
  • Repairing1.40.4
  • Equipment Selection1.1—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Management of Financial Resources1.0—
  • Management of Material Resources1.0—
  • Sciencebasic1.0—
  • Technology Design1.0—

Tasks

3 core · 11 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters.4.4
  2. Clear jams in sorting equipment.4.4
  3. Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling.4.1
Show the other 11
  1. Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment.4.6
  2. 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.4.5
  3. Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines.4.4
  4. Open and label mail containers.4.3
  5. Move containers of mail, using equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains".4.3
  6. Load and unload mail trucks, sometimes lifting containers of mail onto equipment that transports items to sorting stations.4.2
  7. Train new workers.4.1
  8. Distribute incoming mail into the correct boxes or pigeonholes.4.1
  9. Rewrap soiled or broken parcels.4.1
  10. Search directories to find correct addresses for redirected mail.4.0
  11. Cancel letter or parcel post stamps by hand.3.8

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • English Language3.02.3Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Production and Processing2.51.5Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Customer and Personal Service2.41.4Level 1 looks like: Process a customer's dry-cleaning drop off
  • Administrative2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Administration and Management2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
  • Public Safety and Security2.11.3Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Transportation2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Computers and Electronics1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Operate a media player to watch a training video
Show all 33
  • Education and Training1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Show someone how to bowl
  • Communications and Media1.71.0Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Mathematics1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.70.6Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Telecommunications1.70.7Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Economics and Accounting1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Law and Government1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Geography1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Psychology1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Mechanical1.4—
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.4—
  • Engineering and Technology1.3—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.30.5Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.2—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.2—
  • Sales and Marketing1.2—
  • Biology1.1—
  • Building and Construction1.1—
  • Chemistry1.1—
  • Design1.1—
  • Food Production1.1—
  • Foreign Language1.1—
  • History and Archeology1.1—
  • Physics1.1—
  • Fine Arts1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Near Vision3.83.8
  • Manual Dexterity3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Category Flexibility3.12.6Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Information Ordering3.12.6Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Multilimb Coordination3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Operate a forklift truck in a warehouse
  • Perceptual Speed3.12.6Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Static Strength3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Written Comprehension3.12.8Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
Show all 52
  • Deductive Reasoning3.02.5Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Finger Dexterity3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Oral Comprehension3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Understand a television commercial
  • Oral Expression3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Place an order at a restaurant drive-thru
  • Problem Sensitivity3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't work
  • Speech Clarity3.02.8
  • Speech Recognition3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Trunk Strength3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.92.5Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Control Precision2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Extent Flexibility2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Inductive Reasoning2.92.5Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Selective Attention2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Far Vision2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Reaction Time2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Written Expression2.52.0Level 1 looks like: Write a note to remind someone to take food out of the freezer
  • Dynamic Strength2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Flexibility of Closure2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Stamina2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Auditory Attention2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Rate Control2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Memorization2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Speed of Closure2.12.1Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Depth Perception2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Fluency of Ideas2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Gross Body Coordination2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Response Orientation2.01.8Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Time Sharing2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Visualization2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Originality1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.80.9
  • Explosive Strength1.50.8
  • Spatial Orientation1.3—
  • Night Vision1.1—
  • Peripheral Vision1.1—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Handling and Moving Objects3.85.1Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.83.3Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.73.2Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Getting Information3.52.1Level 1 looks like: Follow a standard blueprint
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.22.5Level 1 looks like: Test an automobile transmission
  • Controlling Machines and Processes3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Processing Information3.12.2Level 1 looks like: Calculate the costs for shipping packages
Show all 41
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.02.5Level 1 looks like: Check to see if baking bread is done
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.02.5Level 1 looks like: Keep up with price changes in a small retail store
  • Working with Computers3.01.8Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.92.7
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems2.92.6
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.82.7
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards2.71.8Level 1 looks like: Review forms for completeness
  • Training and Teaching Others2.72.3Level 1 looks like: Give coworkers brief instructions on a simple procedural change
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.61.6Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.62.2Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.61.9Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Documenting/Recording Information2.62.0Level 1 looks like: Record the weight of a patient during a routine health exam
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.62.1Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work2.62.3Level 1 looks like: Organize a work schedule that is repetitive and easy to plan
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.62.3Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.51.7Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Developing and Building Teams2.21.6Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.21.7Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.21.7Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.21.9Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.11.5Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Thinking Creatively2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Change the spacing on a printed report
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment2.01.1Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Performing Administrative Activities1.91.0Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Scheduling Work and Activities1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Make appointments for patients using a predetermined schedule
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization1.80.9Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.5—
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources1.4—
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.3—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0
  • Time Pressure4.7
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.5
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.5
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.4
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3
  • Spend Time Standing4.3
  • Exposed to Contaminants4.1
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.0
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.0

Technology

17 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (7)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
  • Teradata Database
Other tools (10)
  • Address Management System AMS
  • Automated Package Processing System APPS
  • Barcode reader software
  • Delivery operations information system DOIS
  • Delivery Routing System DRS
  • Directory software
  • Electronic Time Clock ETC
  • Multi-line optical character reader OCR software
  • NCR Advanced Store
  • Time and Attendance Collection System TACS

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
  2. Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
  3. Postal Service Clerks
  4. Stockers and Order Fillers
  5. Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
  6. Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
  7. Data Entry Keyers
  8. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
  9. Recycling and Reclamation Workers
  10. File Clerks

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.