Also called: Postal Service Mail Sorters
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators build coordination, judgment and decision making and operations monitoring skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service (76%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service | 76% | $39,280 | −33% | None |
| 2 | Transportation Security Screeners | 74% | $66,770 | +14% | None |
| 3 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 73% | $68,840 | +18% | None |
| 4 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | 73% | $57,700 | −1% | None |
| 5 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 72% | $78,000 | +33% | None |
| 6 | Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | 69% | $58,170 | −1% | None |
| 7 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 69% | $58,870 | +1% | None |
| 8 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 68% | $96,710 | +65% | None |
| 9 | Office Machine Operators, Except Computer | 68% | $40,960 | −30% | None |
| 10 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 67% | $40,240 | −31% | None |
Compared with Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators, median $58,470. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
76% skill match · $39,280 · −33% pay
Management of Financial Resources · Management of Material Resources · Equipment Selection
74% skill match · $66,770 · +14% pay
Persuasion · Management of Material Resources · Negotiation
73% skill match · $68,840 · +18% pay
Management of Material Resources · Management of Financial Resources · Operations Monitoring
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service (76% skill match, median $39,280), Transportation Security Screeners (74% skill match, median $66,770) and Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (73% skill match, median $68,840), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 10 pay more than postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+65%, $96,710), Gas Plant Operators (+50%, $87,820) and Subway and Streetcar Operators (+48%, $86,380).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.