Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents (SOC 11-9131) earn a median $96,660 a year ($46.47 an hour) in the United States, with 13,810 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Florida.
What postmasters and mail superintendents do
Postmasters and mail superintendents manage a United States post office, or coordinate the postal workers assigned to one. The job covers the operational, administrative, and support services of the office, including the processing of incoming and outgoing mail. Typical tasks are organizing and supervising mail handling and delivery activities, preparing employee work schedules, monitoring schedules and attendance for payroll, and resolving customer complaints. Titles include delivery supervisor, distribution operations manager, and mail delivery supervisor. The occupation is limited to those who direct post office operations. The mail carriers, clerks, and sorters they supervise are classified in other occupations. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers lead clerical staff but not postal operations. They also hire and train employees, evaluate their performance, send reports on post office activities to designated supervisors, and negotiate labor disputes.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Delivery Supervisor, Distribution Operation Supervisor (SDO), Distribution Operations Manager, Distribution Operations Supervisor, Mail Delivery Supervisor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $40.91 | $43.58 | $46.47 | $49.50 | $53.72 | $46.81 | 13,810 |
| Annual | $85,090 | $90,650 | $96,660 | $102,960 | $111,740 | $97,360 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where postmasters and mail superintendents earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $43.58 | $46.19 | $49.46 | $54.37 | $61.03 | $51.12 | 350 | 0.04 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $90,650 | $96,080 | $102,880 | $113,090 | $126,940 | $106,330 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $41.14 | $45.36 | $48.63 | $53.72 | $59.10 | $49.54 | 800 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $85,570 | $94,350 | $101,150 | $111,740 | $122,930 | $103,040 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $42.92 | $45.58 | $48.61 | $51.75 | $56.27 | $48.87 | 440 | 0.10 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $89,270 | $94,810 | $101,100 | $107,640 | $117,040 | $101,660 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $43.21 | $45.50 | $48.03 | $49.80 | $56.31 | $49.00 | 40 | 0.07 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $89,880 | $94,640 | $99,900 | $103,580 | $117,120 | $101,920 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $43.45 | $45.02 | $47.68 | $50.26 | $53.72 | $48.37 | 260 | 0.08 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $90,380 | $93,640 | $99,170 | $104,540 | $111,740 | $100,610 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $42.75 | $44.42 | $46.94 | $49.50 | $53.78 | $47.79 | 830 | 0.09 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $88,920 | $92,390 | $97,640 | $102,960 | $111,860 | $99,410 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $41.88 | $43.97 | $46.90 | $49.77 | $54.23 | $47.55 | 820 | 0.06 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $87,110 | $91,460 | $97,550 | $103,520 | $112,800 | $98,910 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $41.14 | $45.36 | $48.63 | $53.72 | $59.10 | $49.54 | 800 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $85,570 | $94,350 | $101,150 | $111,740 | $122,930 | $103,040 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $41.33 | $44.18 | $46.89 | $49.33 | $53.72 | $47.19 | 800 | 0.13 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $85,970 | $91,890 | $97,530 | $102,610 | $111,740 | $98,160 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $41.00 | $43.16 | $45.66 | $49.16 | $53.15 | $46.62 | 510 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $85,280 | $89,770 | $94,970 | $102,250 | $110,550 | $96,970 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $46.51 | $48.89 | $54.54 | $58.65 | $66.51 | $55.16 | 120 | 0.02 | 0.22 |
| Annual | $96,740 | $101,690 | $113,430 | $121,990 | $138,340 | $114,730 | ||||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Hourly | $47.06 | $49.46 | $53.45 | $57.83 | $65.36 | $54.85 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $97,880 | $102,880 | $111,170 | $120,290 | $135,950 | $114,080 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $46.28 | $48.63 | $53.04 | $58.56 | $67.55 | $54.75 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Annual | $96,260 | $101,150 | $110,310 | $121,800 | $140,500 | $113,880 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $44.76 | $47.80 | $51.12 | $60.13 | $67.75 | $54.44 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.28 |
| Annual | $93,100 | $99,420 | $106,320 | $125,070 | $140,920 | $113,230 | ||||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | Hourly | $43.60 | $46.05 | $50.10 | $56.31 | $64.36 | $52.06 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $90,690 | $95,780 | $104,200 | $117,120 | $133,870 | $108,280 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $43.65 | $45.94 | $48.63 | $52.49 | $56.31 | $49.51 | 550 | 0.06 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $90,790 | $95,560 | $101,150 | $109,180 | $117,120 | $102,970 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $41.46 | $44.81 | $48.00 | $50.62 | $55.90 | $48.07 | 240 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $86,240 | $93,200 | $99,840 | $105,290 | $116,270 | $99,990 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $42.54 | $44.82 | $48.62 | $51.81 | $56.31 | $48.90 | 200 | 0.05 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $88,480 | $93,230 | $101,130 | $107,760 | $117,120 | $101,720 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $41.97 | $44.73 | $48.63 | $51.91 | $56.31 | $48.90 | 180 | 0.07 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $87,300 | $93,040 | $101,150 | $107,970 | $117,120 | $101,700 | ||||
| Pittsburgh, PA | Hourly | $44.36 | $46.42 | $48.45 | $51.22 | $54.88 | $49.52 | 150 | 0.14 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $92,270 | $96,550 | $100,780 | $106,540 | $114,150 | $102,990 | ||||
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $80,250 for postmasters and mail superintendents in May 2021 and $96,660 in May 2025, with employment of 12,750 and 13,810.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $80,250 | $38.58 | 12,750 |
| May 2022 | $82,760 | $39.79 | 13,460 |
| May 2023 | $88,670 | $42.63 | 13,810 |
| May 2024 | $92,730 | $44.58 | 13,810 |
| May 2025 | $96,660 | $46.47 | 13,810 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida profile | $49.46 | $102,880 | $90,650 | $126,940 | 350 | 0.04 | 0.40 |
| 2 | California profile | $48.63 | $101,150 | $85,570 | $122,930 | 800 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $48.61 | $101,100 | $89,270 | $117,040 | 440 | 0.10 | 1.15 |
| 4 | Rhode Island profile | $48.03 | $99,900 | $89,880 | $117,120 | 40 | 0.07 | 0.83 |
| 5 | Tennessee profile | $47.68 | $99,170 | $90,380 | $111,740 | 260 | 0.08 | 0.90 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $47.63 | $99,070 | $85,090 | $117,120 | 60 | 0.10 | 1.08 |
| 7 | Arizona profile | $47.62 | $99,050 | $75,050 | $120,680 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.53 |
| 8 | South Carolina profile | $47.57 | $98,940 | $89,770 | $115,070 | 210 | 0.09 | 1.04 |
| 9 | Indiana profile | $47.44 | $98,680 | $89,690 | $112,220 | 290 | 0.09 | 1.02 |
| 10 | Kentucky profile | $47.39 | $98,570 | $89,770 | $111,740 | 240 | 0.12 | 1.37 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $47.39 | $98,570 | $74,550 | $111,740 | 110 | 0.06 | 0.69 |
| 12 | Delaware profile | $47.38 | $98,550 | $89,770 | $115,940 | 40 | 0.09 | 0.98 |
| 13 | Arkansas profile | $47.06 | $97,880 | $89,770 | $111,740 | 180 | 0.14 | 1.53 |
| 14 | Connecticut profile | $47.06 | $97,880 | $88,050 | $114,650 | 160 | 0.10 | 1.08 |
| 15 | Michigan profile | $47.02 | $97,790 | $89,630 | $111,740 | 450 | 0.10 | 1.16 |
| 16 | Ohio profile | $46.96 | $97,680 | $89,770 | $111,610 | 510 | 0.09 | 1.03 |
| 17 | New York profile | $46.94 | $97,640 | $88,920 | $111,860 | 830 | 0.09 | 0.97 |
| 18 | Texas profile | $46.90 | $97,550 | $87,110 | $112,800 | 820 | 0.06 | 0.65 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania profile | $46.89 | $97,530 | $85,970 | $111,740 | 800 | 0.13 | 1.48 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $46.66 | $97,050 | $87,900 | $111,740 | 340 | 0.07 | 0.79 |
| 21 | Massachusetts profile | $46.57 | $96,870 | $85,720 | $114,730 | 330 | 0.09 | 1.03 |
| 22 | Wisconsin profile | $46.55 | $96,810 | $87,510 | $111,680 | 340 | 0.11 | 1.29 |
| 23 | Louisiana profile | $46.42 | $96,550 | $87,190 | $110,990 | 250 | 0.13 | 1.44 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | $46.35 | $96,410 | $87,400 | $111,740 | 480 | 0.10 | 1.10 |
| 25 | West Virginia profile | $46.28 | $96,260 | $86,010 | $109,030 | 180 | 0.25 | 2.81 |
| 26 | Oklahoma profile | $46.19 | $96,080 | $88,250 | $110,360 | 240 | 0.14 | 1.58 |
| 27 | Alabama profile | $46.03 | $95,740 | $87,710 | $111,740 | 280 | 0.13 | 1.47 |
| 28 | Missouri profile | $46.00 | $95,680 | $87,090 | $108,310 | 300 | 0.10 | 1.14 |
| 29 | Washington profile | $45.88 | $95,430 | $78,670 | $116,080 | 280 | 0.08 | 0.90 |
| 30 | Mississippi profile | $45.81 | $95,270 | $87,170 | $111,740 | 190 | 0.16 | 1.80 |
| 31 | Illinois profile | $45.66 | $94,970 | $85,280 | $110,550 | 510 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| 32 | Maryland profile | $45.62 | $94,890 | $86,780 | $108,520 | 230 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $45.57 | $94,790 | $86,280 | $110,570 | 370 | 0.09 | 1.02 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | $45.21 | $94,040 | $85,090 | $102,960 | 150 | 0.14 | 1.63 |
| 35 | Oregon profile | $44.80 | $93,180 | $69,060 | $106,850 | 220 | 0.11 | 1.25 |
| 36 | Iowa profile | $44.79 | $93,160 | $85,090 | $102,960 | 260 | 0.17 | 1.87 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $44.75 | $93,080 | $85,090 | $102,960 | 190 | 0.14 | 1.52 |
| 38 | Colorado profile | $44.71 | $93,000 | $72,090 | $109,740 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.77 |
| 39 | Maine profile | $44.71 | $93,000 | $79,960 | $104,330 | 180 | 0.28 | 3.15 |
| 40 | New Hampshire profile | $44.70 | $92,980 | $84,120 | $107,350 | 160 | 0.24 | 2.70 |
| 41 | Idaho profile | $44.63 | $92,820 | $72,800 | $111,180 | 130 | 0.15 | 1.68 |
| 42 | Minnesota profile | $44.43 | $92,410 | $85,090 | $102,960 | 320 | 0.11 | 1.24 |
| 43 | South Dakota profile | $44.01 | $91,540 | $71,720 | $107,720 | 100 | 0.23 | 2.54 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $43.99 | $91,500 | $60,490 | $111,130 | 140 | 0.17 | 1.86 |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $43.77 | $91,040 | $59,110 | $102,960 | 90 | 0.21 | 2.33 |
| 46 | Vermont profile | $43.22 | $89,890 | $85,090 | $101,050 | 120 | 0.39 | 4.37 |
| 47 | Nevada profile | $43.16 | $89,770 | $50,270 | $116,600 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| 48 | Montana profile | $42.75 | $88,920 | $51,360 | $102,960 | 170 | 0.34 | 3.81 |
| 49 | Wyoming profile | $42.33 | $88,040 | $50,880 | $101,150 | 80 | 0.30 | 3.37 |
| 50 | Alaska profile | $28.53 | $59,340 | $51,330 | $99,420 | 170 | 0.51 | 5.78 |
Part of Management Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 11-9131 Postmasters and Mail Superintendents.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 11-9131, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 11-9131.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.