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Postmasters and Mail Superintendents

Postmasters and Mail Superintendents: Career Profile

Plan, direct, or coordinate operational, administrative, management, and support services of a U.S. post office; or coordinate activities of workers engaged in postal and related work in assigned post office.

What Do Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of postmasters and mail superintendents cover:

  • Monitor employees' work schedules and attendance for payroll purposes.
  • Organize and supervise activities, such as the processing of incoming and outgoing mail.
  • Resolve customer complaints.
  • Prepare employee work schedules.
  • Direct and coordinate operational, management, and supportive services of one or a number of postal facilities.
  • Hire and train employees, and evaluate their performance.
  • Prepare and submit detailed and summary reports of post office activities to designated supervisors.
  • Negotiate labor disputes.

What Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Need to Know

Successful postmasters and mail superintendents draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Speaking  4.0 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  4.0 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Time Management  4.0 / 5
0
5
Coordination  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Administration and Management  4.4 / 5
0
5
Public Safety and Security  4.2 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.1 / 5
0
5
Production and Processing  4.0 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  4.0 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.7 / 5
0
5

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Delivery Supervisor
  • Distribution Operation Supervisor (SDO)
  • Distribution Operations Manager
  • Distribution Operations Supervisor
  • Mail Delivery Supervisor
  • Mail Superintendent
  • Order to Delivery Supervisor
  • Postal Service Sectional Center Manager

Job Outlook

There are about 66,829 postmasters and mail superintendents working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.1% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Postmasters and Mail Superintendents

Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $75,454
Hourly median $36.28
10th percentile $54,441
25th percentile $64,948
75th percentile $85,960
90th percentile $96,467

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Postmasters and Mail Superintendents

How Much Do Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
Florida $98,990
Rhode Island $98,720
Puerto Rico $97,500
California $97,050
New Jersey $96,900
Tennessee $95,470
Kentucky $94,870
Utah $94,720
Delaware $94,550
South Carolina $94,520
Arizona $94,410
Connecticut $94,370
Georgia $94,120
Indiana $94,060
Texas $94,060
Michigan $93,940
Arkansas $93,930
Hawaii $93,910
Ohio $93,230
New York $93,230
Massachusetts $93,230
Pennsylvania $93,100
Wisconsin $93,080
West Virginia $92,900
Louisiana $92,870
North Carolina $92,780
Oklahoma $92,450
Alabama $92,120
Missouri $91,750
Washington $91,370
Illinois $91,370
Mississippi $91,310
Maryland $91,150
Virginia $90,520
Maine $90,250
New Hampshire $90,080
Nebraska $89,710
Iowa $89,670
Minnesota $89,670
Kansas $89,610
Oregon $89,520
Colorado $89,480
Idaho $88,780
South Dakota $88,730
New Mexico $87,980
North Dakota $87,980
Vermont $87,150
Nevada $86,320
Montana $85,320
Wyoming $82,620
Alaska $57,490

Where Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Earn the Most

Pay for postmasters and mail superintendents shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Other U.S. Territories $97,500 0.6% 0.97
Southeast $93,752 23.9% 1.18
Middle Atlantic $93,693 16.8% 1.17
Southwest $93,146 9.8% 0.95
Great Lakes $93,020 15.0% 1.07
New England $91,853 7.4% 2.11
Far Western US $90,436 11.4% 1.21
Plains States $89,933 10.1% 1.56

Top Metro Areas

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CA $108,240 130
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL FL $106,490 40
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ AZ $103,830 40
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA CA $101,670 40
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI MI $100,860 40
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA WA $100,460 60
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $100,210 80
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX TX $100,190 40

Top Industries Employing Postmasters and Mail Superintendents

The bulk of postmasters and mail superintendents are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Transportation and Warehousing 13,810 $92,730

Below are examples of industries where postmasters and mail superintendents work:

Software Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Use

  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The on-the-job environment of postmasters and mail superintendents is shaped by the following characteristics:

  • Contact With Others
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Time Pressure
  • E-Mail
  • Telephone Conversations

Getting Started in This Career

Most postmasters and mail superintendents positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Aspiring postmasters and mail superintendents typically earn programs in:

Public Administration and Social Service Professions

1 programs across 1 majors

Sources

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 11-9131.00 (Postmasters and Mail Superintendents).

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