Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators and Postmasters and Mail Superintendents on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | Postmasters and Mail Superintendents |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $56,530 | $92,730 |
| Employment | 111,930 | 13,810 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Declining (-8.4%) | Declining (-3.5%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 7,800 | 900 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 14th pct | Low · 33rd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 78th pct · 41% of tasks | 79th pct · 42% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | Yes |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Near Vision, Monitoring, Written Comprehension, Information Ordering, Category Flexibility, English Language, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Inductive Reasoning, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Written Expression, Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service.
Specific to Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
- Manual Dexterity
- Perceptual Speed
- Multilimb Coordination
- Static Strength
- Finger Dexterity
- Trunk Strength
- Operations Monitoring
- Selective Attention
Specific to Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Education and Training
- Negotiation
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Mathematics
- Administrative
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software , Enterprise resource planning ERP software , Data base user interface and query software , Map creation software , Time accounting software , Human resources software .
Specific to Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
Specific to Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators or Postmasters and Mail Superintendents — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Postal Service Clerks
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Stockers and Order Fillers
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Data Entry Keyers
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Postmasters and Mail Superintendents." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/postal-service-mail-sorters-processors-and-processing-machine-operators-vs-postmasters-and-mail-superintendents
Singulariki. (2026). Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Postmasters and Mail Superintendents. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/postal-service-mail-sorters-processors-and-processing-machine-operators-vs-postmasters-and-mail-superintendents
@misc{singulariki-postal-service-mail-sorters-processors-and-processing-machine-operators-vs-postmasters-and-mail-superintendents,
title = {Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators vs Postmasters and Mail Superintendents},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/postal-service-mail-sorters-processors-and-processing-machine-operators-vs-postmasters-and-mail-superintendents}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.