How to become a mail carrier

1. 1Check that you meet USPS requirements

   Time: Before applyingSources 1, 3

   You must be at least 18 at the time of appointment, or 16 with a high school diploma, and be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or citizen of a U.S. territory. Men must be registered with Selective Service if it applies. Carrier jobs also need a valid driver's license with at least two years of documented, unsupervised driving experience and a safe record in every state you lived in during the past five years.

2. 2Find an opening and apply online

   Time: 1-2 hoursCost: FreeSources 1, 4

   Search USPS careers for City Carrier Assistant, Rural Carrier Associate or Assistant Rural Carrier jobs near you. Postings are by post office, so check often. The application asks for recent employment history and, for driving jobs, your driving history. Use a desktop or laptop and allow pop-ups, as USPS advises. Ignore any site that charges for a postal exam or a job guarantee.

3. 3Pass the Virtual Entry Assessment (Exam 474)

   Time: 30-45 minutes, within 72 hoursCost: FreeSources 2

   After applying, you receive an emailed invitation to the Virtual Entry Assessment – MC (Exam 474), taken online by computer, tablet or phone. Results come back as eligible or ineligible. If you do not finish within 72 hours you are removed from consideration, and if you fail you must wait 12 months to retake that version.

4. 4Interview and clear pre-employment screening

   Time: 2-6 weeksCost: FreeSources 1, 3

   Candidates who score well may be called for an interview at the hiring office. A job offer is conditional on a criminal background check covering the last 10 years, a drug screening, a medical assessment and a motor vehicle record check. Driving offenses such as suspensions, reckless driving or alcohol-related violations within set periods make you ineligible for driving positions.

5. 5Complete orientation, driver training and the carrier academy

   Time: About 2-3 weeksCost: PaidSources 5, 6, 7

   New carriers attend orientation and learn to drive the postal vehicle, which for city carriers usually means a right-hand-drive truck, and must pass a road test. A carrier academy of a few days covers scanning, safety, curbside and cluster box delivery, and park-and-loop routes. Then you ride along or work with an experienced carrier before handling a route on your own.

6. 6Move from assistant to career carrier

   Time: Varies by officeSources 4, 6

   Most new hires begin as non-career City Carrier Assistants or Rural Carrier Associates who fill in on days off and heavy days. As career positions open in your office, you can convert to a career city carrier or regular rural carrier, which brings a steadier schedule, a pay scale with step increases and full benefits. How fast that happens depends on staffing and turnover where you work.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Physical endurance

A route can mean many miles of walking or hundreds of vehicle stops, carrying a satchel and lifting packages in any weather.

Attention to detail

Similar addresses, forwarding orders and holds mean one misread label sends mail to the wrong house.

Safe driving

Carriers drive all day with frequent stops, often in right-hand-drive vehicles, and their driving record decides whether they can keep a route.

Time management

Routes have dispatch and return times, so carriers plan loading and delivery to finish on schedule even on heavy package days.

Courtesy with the public

Carriers deal with the same customers every day, handle complaints about missed packages and represent the Postal Service on the street.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, monitoring.

Training cost

No tuition

Before financial aid

Time

1-3 months to start; longer to reach a career position

Typical path

Median pay

$60,550

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

No training cost

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

USPS states that it never charges a fee for exams, applications or employment information, and training is paid. The only personal costs are a valid state driver's license, whose fee varies by state, and, for Rural Carrier Associates without a postal vehicle, using and insuring your own car.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Career city carrier or regular rural carrier

  Assistants and associates convert to career positions as openings come up in their office, gaining a regular route and full benefits.

• Delivery supervisor

  Experienced carriers can apply for supervisor jobs posted internally, which involve managing carriers, routes and daily delivery operations.

• Tractor-trailer operator$58,640 median

  Moving mail between postal facilities by truck requires a commercial driver's license and applying to those USPS driving jobs.

• Postmaster

  Career employees with supervisory experience can compete for postmaster jobs, which run a post office; smaller offices are the usual starting point.