Mail Carrier

Mail Carrier supervises cases and this page contains 20 real tasks that map review steps, approvals, and handoffs. Tasks explain documentation, who signs off, and how outcomes are tracked. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

20evidenced tasks
20ready prompts
6tools of the trade
43-5052.00O*NET-SOC code
328,820hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$60,550median pay/yr (US)
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What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Postal Service Mail Carriers in the U.S. earn more than $60,550 a year — the middle 80% land between $42,390 and $81,040. About 328,820 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Postal Service Mail Carriers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Clerical support workers earn about ₹24,252 a month on average — around ₹2.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$60,550typical pay / year
328,820people in this work
$81,040+top 10% earn
₹2.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Sending & sharing3

Return to the post office with collected mail

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Return to the branch now with the remaining collected mail from Route 14, lock the sack in the secure intake…
Return to the branch now with the remaining collected mail from Route 14, lock the sack in the secure intake room, hand the undelivered parcels to sorting for reattempts, and scan the sack into the intake log before clocking out at 17:30.
The tools that do the workAutomated Data Collection System ADCSESCOjob descriptionsO*NET

Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail

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Obtain the recipient’s signature and print the cash receipt for the cash-on-delivery package to 9 High…
Obtain the recipient’s signature and print the cash receipt for the cash-on-delivery package to 9 High Street, verify ID, log the transaction in the payment journal, hand the signed proof to the customer and return the cash to the safe.
The tools that do the workEnd of Run Report EORjob descriptionsO*NET

Perform mail delivery

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Deliver the day’s route for Sector 3, prioritise time-sensitive items first, respect confidentiality for…
Deliver the day’s route for Sector 3, prioritise time-sensitive items first, respect confidentiality for addressed correspondence, photograph damaged parcels before handing over, obtain signatures where required and update delivery status as you go.
The tools that do the workAutomated Data Collection System ADCSDelivery Routing System DRSESCOjob descriptions
Keeping the record2

Record address changes and redirect mail

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Update the resident moves on the central address file for 22 Maple Street and start mail redirection for the…
Update the resident moves on the central address file for 22 Maple Street and start mail redirection for the next thirty days, notify the old and new delivery units of the change, and print the confirmation slip to give the customer at the counter.
The tools that do the workAddress Management System AMSjob descriptionsO*NET

Sort mail for delivery in delivery sequence

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Sort today’s tray for Zone B into delivery sequence starting with high-density flats, separate tracked…
Sort today’s tray for Zone B into delivery sequence starting with high-density flats, separate tracked parcels and registered items into the secure pouch, then lay out the walking order to minimise backtracking and mark bulky items for vehicle pickup.
The tools that do the workDelivery Routing System DRSDelivery operations information system DOISjob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work15

Register, certify, and insure parcels and letters.

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Process the customer’s parcel as registered with insurance: record item description, declare value, attach…
Process the customer’s parcel as registered with insurance: record item description, declare value, attach the printed registration receipt, obtain payer signature and issue the insured tracking number and customer copy before dispatching.
The tools that do the workDelivery operations information system DOISjob descriptionsO*NET

Handle mail

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Sort today's load by delivery type and privacy level, put registered and fragile items to the top, plan the…
Sort today's load by delivery type and privacy level, put registered and fragile items to the top, plan the street sequence to cut left turns and backtracking, note any environmental pickups, and list exceptions to return to the depot before the last route sweep.
The tools that do the workDelivery Routing System DRSAutomated Data Collection System ADCSESCOsee the evidence ↗

Establish daily priorities

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Review yesterday's missed and delayed stops, inspect the route map for high-density clusters, prioritise…
Review yesterday's missed and delayed stops, inspect the route map for high-density clusters, prioritise registered and time-sensitive deliveries for the morning run, schedule a walking loop for the flats, and earmark fuel-efficient stretches to reduce mileage.
The tools that do the workDelivery operations information system DOISDelivery Routing System DRSESCOsee the evidence ↗

Maintain accurate records of deliveries.

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Update the daily delivery log with each stop, package type, signature status and mileage, flag late or…
Update the daily delivery log with each stop, package type, signature status and mileage, flag late or refused deliveries, verify entries for accuracy before submitting at end of shift on Friday.
The tools that do the workEnd of Run Report EORO*NET

Answer customers' questions about postal services and regulations.

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Answer the customer at 112 Maple about service options, explain delivery windows, customs rules for…
Answer the customer at 112 Maple about service options, explain delivery windows, customs rules for international parcels and refund eligibility, note the question and outcome in the customer query log before leaving.
The tools that do the workDelivery operations information system DOISO*NET

Report any unusual circumstances concerning mail delivery, including the condition of street letter boxes.

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Report the broken street box at Elm and Third, describe damage and location, include photos and nearby…
Report the broken street box at Elm and Third, describe damage and location, include photos and nearby addresses affected, mark urgent for repairs and submit the incident before finishing the route.
The tools that do the workAddress Management System AMSAutomated Data Collection System ADCSO*NET

Sell stamps and money orders.

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Process stamp and money order sale for Mrs. Martinez at 9:45, record payment method and serial numbers, give…
Process stamp and money order sale for Mrs. Martinez at 9:45, record payment method and serial numbers, give receipt and update till total, reconcile cash before end of shift.
The tools that do the workElectronic Time Clock ETCO*NET

Collect charges for registered, certified, and insured mail

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Collect the fees for certified and insured items from Mr. O'Neill, obtain signature, record item numbers and…
Collect the fees for certified and insured items from Mr. O'Neill, obtain signature, record item numbers and amounts in the payment log, issue receipt and reconcile those amounts in the till at shift end.
The tools that do the workEnd of Run Report EORjob descriptions

Hold mail for customers who are away

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Log the hold-mail request from the Johnson household, verify ID, note start and end dates, record forwarding…
Log the hold-mail request from the Johnson household, verify ID, note start and end dates, record forwarding instructions and any security concerns, confirm request with the customer before filing.
The tools that do the workAddress Management System AMSjob descriptions

Collect signatures from the recipients

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Collect hard-copy signatures from Mr. Javier Morales at 142 Elm Street and Ms. Aisha Khan at 9 Birch Court,…
Collect hard-copy signatures from Mr. Javier Morales at 142 Elm Street and Ms. Aisha Khan at 9 Birch Court, verify their IDs, obtain dated signatures on both delivery receipts, scan them into the route file and return originals to station by 17:00 today.
The tools that do the workAutomated Data Collection System ADCSESCO

Maintain privacy of service users

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Keep recipients’ delivery details confidential: when handing mail to Mrs. Patel at 21 Rose Ave and Mr. O’Neil…
Keep recipients’ delivery details confidential: when handing mail to Mrs. Patel at 21 Rose Ave and Mr. O’Neil at 78 Lake Road, do not speak recipients’ names aloud, shield addresses from bystanders, and log only tracking numbers in the public run sheet.
The tools that do the workDelivery operations information system DOISESCOsee the evidence ↗

Analyse ways to reduce travel time

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Reduce travel time on my afternoon loop by analysing stops on Oak, Pine and Cedar streets, suggest a…
Reduce travel time on my afternoon loop by analysing stops on Oak, Pine and Cedar streets, suggest a reordered stop sequence that minimizes backtracking and flags any time windows or frequent failed deliveries for follow-up.
The tools that do the workDelivery Routing System DRSAddress Management System AMSESCOsee the evidence ↗

Differentiate types of packages

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Sort today’s parcels into priority, fragile and standard piles for the 10:00 run, label each with delivery…
Sort today’s parcels into priority, fragile and standard piles for the 10:00 run, label each with delivery instructions (fragile: hand to recipient; priority: signature required), and note oversized items that need second-person handling.
The tools that do the workAutomated Data Collection System ADCSESCOsee the evidence ↗

Implement environmental protection measures

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Implement three immediate environmental measures on my route: consolidate deliveries to reduce trips, swap…
Implement three immediate environmental measures on my route: consolidate deliveries to reduce trips, swap paper receipts for electronic confirmation where allowed, and park at legal spots to avoid idling; log fuel saved in the end-of-run note.
The tools that do the workEnd of Run Report EORESCOsee the evidence ↗

Geographic areas

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Map my assigned delivery area covering Westbrook, Maple Heights and Riverbend, mark known access issues and…
Map my assigned delivery area covering Westbrook, Maple Heights and Riverbend, mark known access issues and gated properties, add preferred parking spots and walking shortcuts so new relief carriers can follow the same efficient pattern.
The tools that do the workAddress Management System AMSDelivery Routing System DRSESCOsee the evidence ↗

Says who?

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The logs, files & records this job keeps

Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.

Related careers

Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.

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