# Postal Service Clerks

US SOC code 43-5051. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/43-5051

Also called: Postal clerk, Post office clerk, PSE sales and service associate, PSE mail processing clerk, Window clerk.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **73,720** US postal service clerks, with median pay of **$62,130** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **86,950**, in May 2020. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/employees-since-1926.htm) of **82,000** from 1926, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for postal service clerks: Automated Postal Center self-service kiosk, 2004 to 2025.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035 (-0.3%). Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-5051&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **27.8%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Postal Service Clerks employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1792
- Latest US employment: 73,720 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $62,130 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: -0.3% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [20]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 64401)
  - Employment, 2020: 7,375. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [5]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 64401 Postal services representatives, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$48,800. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 64401 Postal services representatives, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1926 | 82,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., USPS [1] |
| 1950 | 120,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., USPS [1] |
| 1970 | n/a | $7,000 (estimate) | Est., AFL-CIO [6] |
| 1987 | 296,360 (estimate) | n/a | Est., CRS [2] |
| 1990 | 290,380 (estimate) | n/a | Est., CRS [3] |
| 2003 | 78,520 | $39,790 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 76,870 | $40,950 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 78,710 | $48,310 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 81,670 | $44,800 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 79,500 | $45,050 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 78,250 | $51,040 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 73,690 | $52,530 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 67,320 | $53,100 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 65,040 | $53,100 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 69,310 | $53,090 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 71,910 | $53,840 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 71,910 | $55,590 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 78,660 | $56,790 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 82,030 | $56,790 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 82,890 | $58,550 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 78,830 | $55,280 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 81,170 | $48,330 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 86,950 | $50,150 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 79,320 | $52,290 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 77,690 | $56,200 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 78,130 | $59,570 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 78,060 | $61,630 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 73,720 | $62,130 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (87)

### Employment series

1. [USPS — Number of Postal Employees Since 1926 (Annual Report of the Postmaster General)](https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/employees-since-1926.htm), United States Postal Service
2. [CRS — U.S. Postal Service Workforce Size and Employment Categories (1987-2007)](https://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/19508), Congressional Research Service
3. [CRS — U.S. Postal Service Workforce Size and Employment Categories, 1990-2010](https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/U.S.-Postal-Service-Workforce-Size-and-Employment-Categories-1990-2010.pdf), Congressional Research Service / Journalists Resource
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

6. [AFL-CIO — "The Great Postal Strike of 1970" (starting wages $6,200; 21-year veterans $8,440)](https://aflcio.org/about-us/history/labor-history-events/great-postal-strike), AFL-CIO
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

9. [National Postal Museum — The Postal Service Begins (history of early Post Office operations)](https://postalmuseum.si.edu/the-postal-service-begins), Smithsonian National Postal Museum
10. [Wikipedia — Postal Reorganization Act (history of postal reform and merit system)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Reorganization_Act), Wikipedia
11. [History.com — "Postal Service Act regulates United States Post Office Department" (February 20, 1792)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-20/postal-service-act-regulates-united-states-post-office-department), HISTORY
12. [National Postal Museum — Mail Processing Machines (semi-automatic sorting machines history)](https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-article/machines-or-bust/mail-processing-machines), Smithsonian National Postal Museum
13. [History of Information — "The U.S. Postal Service Introduces Optical Character Recognition to Sort Mail" (OCR and MPLSM history)](https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?entryid=1056), History of Information
14. [HISTORY — "U.S. Post Office introduces zip codes" (July 1, 1963)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-1/u-s-post-office-introduction-of-zip-codes), HISTORY
15. [Wikipedia — POSTNET (barcode history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POSTNET), Wikipedia
16. [USPS FAQ — Self-Service Kiosks (APC product page)](https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Self-Service-Kiosks), United States Postal Service
17. [USPS Postal Bulletin 22244 — Automated Postal Center (APC) program description (2008)](https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2008/html/pb22244/html/apc.txt), United States Postal Service
18. [USPS Blog — Smarter, Faster Automation: Building a Stronger Postal Service (2025)](https://uspsblog.com/smarter-faster-automation-is-building-a-stronger-postal-service-2/), United States Postal Service
19. [Nextgov/FCW — "USPS plans to use AI to enhance customer service" (March 2025)](https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/03/usps-plans-use-ai-enhance-customer-service/403932/), Nextgov/FCW

### Forecasts and exposure studies

20. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 43-5051 Postal service clerks (2025: 70.9 thousand; 2035: 70.7 thousand; -0.3%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-5051&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
21. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 43-5051.00, human-rated β 0.278)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

22. [History.com — "Postal Service Act regulates United States Post Office Department" (February 20, 1792)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-20/postal-service-act-regulates-united-states-post-office-department), HISTORY
23. [Wikipedia — Postal Reorganization Act (civil service reform and postal history)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Reorganization_Act), Wikipedia
24. [National Postal Museum — Stations and Branches: A Brief History (station clerk history)](https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/pdf/stations-branches.pdf), United States Postal Service
25. [National Postal Museum — Mail Processing Machines (semi-automatic sorting machine history)](https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-article/machines-or-bust/mail-processing-machines), Smithsonian National Postal Museum
26. [HISTORY — "U.S. Post Office introduces zip codes" (July 1, 1963)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-1/u-s-post-office-introduction-of-zip-codes), HISTORY
27. [AFL-CIO — "The Great Postal Strike of 1970" (strike history and wage grievances)](https://aflcio.org/about-us/history/labor-history-events/great-postal-strike), AFL-CIO
28. [History of Information — "The U.S. Postal Service Introduces Optical Character Recognition to Sort Mail" (1965 and 1982 OCR milestones)](https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?entryid=1056), History of Information
29. [In These Times — "In 1971, Nixon Passed a Rule to Doom the Post Office" (2006 PAEA context and history)](https://inthesetimes.com/article/us-postal-service-lawrence-swaim-covid-19-donald-trump-postal-clerks-union), In These Times
30. [Federal News Network — "Over 10,000 USPS employees take early retirement offer, meeting target to shrink workforce" (2025)](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/08/over-10000-usps-employees-take-early-retirement-offer-meeting-target-to-shrink-workforce/), Federal News Network

### Predecessors & successors

31. [History.com — "Postal Service Act regulates United States Post Office Department" (1792 founding)](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-20/postal-service-act-regulates-united-states-post-office-department), HISTORY
32. [National Postal Museum — Railway Mail Service: Expansion and Turmoil, 1876-1920](https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-articles/the-railway-mail-service-history-of-the-service/expansion-and-turmoil-1876-1920), Smithsonian National Postal Museum

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Postal Service Clerks (43-5051.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-5051.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Postal Service Workers](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/postal-service-workers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OEWS — Postal Service Clerks (43-5051), May 2024](https://www.bls.gov/OES/CURRENT/oes435051.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [USPS — Smarter, Faster Automation: Building a Stronger Postal Service (2025)](https://uspsblog.com/smarter-faster-automation-is-building-a-stronger-postal-service-2/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [USPS OIG — Examining Trends in Postal Service Workforce Composition](https://www.uspsoig.gov/reports/white-papers/examining-trends-postal-services-workforce-composition), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Federal News Network — 10,000+ USPS employees take early retirement (2025)](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/08/over-10000-usps-employees-take-early-retirement-offer-meeting-target-to-shrink-workforce/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Nextgov/FCW — USPS plans to use AI to enhance customer service (Mar 2025)](https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/03/usps-plans-use-ai-enhance-customer-service/403932/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs — The Potentially Large Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Economic Growth (2023)](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/how-will-ai-affect-the-global-workforce), accessed 2026-06-05
- [USPS Postal Facts — Innovation (8,300+ automated equipment pieces)](https://facts.usps.com/innovation/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [USPS FAQ — Self-Service Kiosks](https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Self-Service-Kiosks), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.