Occupation Profile

Mail Workers, Except Postal Service

(SOC Code : 43-9051)

in California

Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Use hand or mail handling machines to time stamp, open, read, sort, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, stamp, fold, stuff, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Short-term on-the-job training .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$14.80	$11.60	$13.81	$17.71

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	9,600	10,500	900	9.4	280

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Business Support Services

7,410

16.7%

Advertising and Related Services

11,500

9.2%

Employment Services

6,297

7.8%

Colleges and Universities

1,979

3.7%

Insurance Agencies, Brokerages & Support

28,682

3.6%

Management & Technical Consulting Svc

28,222

3.6%

Management of Companies and Enterprises

914

3.5%

Newspaper, Book, & Directory Publishers

5,427

2.8%

Legal Services

57,499

2.6%

Office Administrative Services

2,198

2.4%

Religious Organizations

25,283

2.4%

Insurance Carriers

4,763

2.2%

Printing and Related Support Activities

6,989

1.9%

ISPs, Search Portals, & Data Processing

4,413

1.5%

Depository Credit Intermediation

9,651

1.2%

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,393

1.2%

Professional and Similar Organizations

7,994

1.1%

About Staffing Patterns

Data for Training Programs not available.

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Seal or open envelopes, by hand or by using machines.

Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters.

Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing.

Place incoming or outgoing letters or packages into sacks or bins based on destination or type, and place identifying tags on sacks or bins.

Clear jams in sortation equipment.

Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts.

Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary.

Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities.

Lift and unload containers of mail or parcels onto equipment for transportation to sortation stations.

Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines.

More Tasks for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

Top Skills used in this Job

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

More Skills for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

Data for Tasks not available.

More Abilities for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

More Work Values for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

More Interests for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service