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Postal service clerks accept mail and parcels at the post office counter, weigh items and verify postage, handle stamp and other postal product transactions, check mail status, and sort or hand over mail by destination. Accurate charging, protecting user information, pausing on anomalous items, and escalating per agency procedures are key responsibilities; USPS position conditions and Chinese postal institution requirements must be verified separately.
Suited to people willing to get acceptance, weighing, charging, receipts, and handover right item by item at the counter, who can then trial postal service clerk work. Understanding service requirements, verifying the appearance and destination of mail, and pausing a quote when information is missing is closer to the daily tasks than simply liking to talk with people. USPS position conditions and Chinese position requirements must each be checked in their own announcements.
Observable signals: keeping verification habits while queuing and repeating tasks; willingness to explain the basis for postage and the scope of what can be handled; and re-checking and escalating first when the address, weight, service type, or payment information is inconsistent. If you reject procedures, records, or standing and lifting, observe a real branch first.
This page covers only the counter acceptance, postage transaction, mail checking, and sorting-related work of US O*NET 43-5051.00 Postal Service Clerks. Chinese postal branches may use different position titles; service authority, charges, user information handling, and recruitment conditions follow local law and institutional rules and are not automatically determined by a US occupational code.
The core tasks of O*NET 43-5051.00 include weighing and calculating postage by type, weight, and destination, verifying mail postage and appearance, selling stamps and postal products, and accepting and sorting mail. Its page employment column uses an older projection period; the 2025–2035 figures, change, and openings on this page follow BLS Table 1.2 instead.
Chinese mainland
Insufficient evidence: the National Bureau of Statistics publishes 2025 urban unit wages by industry and unit type; this page has not obtained a nationwide single-occupation wage distribution for postal service clerks in China.
BLS Occupational Outlook｜https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/postal-service-workers.htm；BLS employment projections table 1.2｜https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm；O*NET national wages｜https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/43-5051.00
42,600 USD/year
| Entry-level jobs | What you mainly do at the start | Checking job conditions | How to prove yourself without experience | Differences from other directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postal counter service clerk | Receive customers, confirm service needs, weigh and charge, and print receipts. | Check the hiring announcement and customer service and cashiering requirements; US materials show usually short-term on-the-job training. | Submit a fictional mail acceptance checklist and exception escalation record. | Responsible for counter mail acceptance; not the same as a carrier or sorter. |
| Mail carriers | Deliver mail and parcels along routes and record delivery status. | Check driving or walking, routes and local hiring conditions. | Show route handover and exception delivery explanations. | The core is the delivery end, not counter charging. |
Serve customers at the counter, confirm the service and destination, weigh and calculate fees, inspect mail packaging and information, sell postal products, issue receipts and handle exceptions; specific procedures follow the outlet's current rules.
Counter clerks handle acceptance, service explanation and charging; carriers deliver along routes; sorters classify internally by destination or route. The three are different O*NET occupations, and hiring and training conditions are checked separately.
Use the fictional items A1–A3 to practise weight bands, subtotals, missing information and customer explanations. Whether you can verify accurately, explain politely and pause quoting when you cannot be certain is more verifiable than a personality label.
Safe trial: using the fully fictional A1–A3 three pieces of mail and the exercise charging table on this page, write the counter acceptance and handover record within 45 minutes. A1 and A2 can be counted in exercise points, and A3 has a missing destination and must be marked pending confirmation; real names, addresses, postage, or orders must not be used.
Self-check three points: A1 should be 9 exercise points, A2 should be 23 exercise points, and the confirmed subtotal is 32 points; A3 is missing a destination and no total price may be invented; the handover note must state the information to be verified, the responsible person, and the next step, and must not promise a delivery time on your own.
If you are willing to switch between customer communication, rule verification, and physical mail handling and can keep traceable records reliably, you can trial the postal counter direction. If you prefer outdoor delivery, central sorting, or customer service advice, compare the corresponding occupations' tasks and position conditions, and do not infer a direct transfer from the name.
Workplace｜postal counter staff usually work indoors at a branch, and the settings for delivery carriers and sorting center positions differ; see the agency arrangement for specific shifts. Counter contact｜faces customers to explain postage, services, and mailing requirements, and must keep clear records and refer disputes to authorized personnel. Physical handling｜weighs, moves, and checks letters and parcels, with repetitive motion and standing time varying with branch volume. Accuracy｜address, weight, service category, amount, and voucher correspond to one another, and any missing item may affect later handling. Process constraints｜charges, prohibited items, delivery promises, and privacy handling follow the agency's current rules, and procedures must not be changed from personal experience. Tool use｜may use weighing, scanning, sales, and sorting systems; system suggestions still require human verification against the physical mail. Team handover｜counter, sorting, delivery, and supervisors relay work, requiring the anomaly item status and a clear next responsible person to be kept. Peaks and queues｜during busy periods, service order and verification quality must be maintained, and address or payment checks must not be skipped to save time. Information confidentiality｜sender and recipient information is handled only per position authorization and must not be placed in public AI tools or exercise material.
Common tools include electronic scales, postage systems, scanning equipment, payment terminals, and mail labels. Counter clerks verify the material and physical mail, and supervisors or specialist positions decide anomalies beyond authority; specific systems vary by agency.
The BLS OOH postal service workers page is a combined page, but it lists the separate postal service clerk duties and a 2025 median wage of 62,130 dollars; the 2025–2035 employment and openings follow the precise SOC 43-5051 row of Table 1.2.
Confirm the mail type and destination → check appearance and mailing conditions → weigh and verify current postage → handle payment and receipt → scan and sort by category → keep an anomaly handover record.
The National Bureau of Statistics 2025 urban unit wages are published by industry and unit type, with no directly mappable nationwide median wage for Chinese postal counter clerks.
Quality standard: weight, destination, service category, charged amount, and voucher must be consistent; when information is insufficient, clarify or escalate first and never guess postage.
BLS Table 1.2 projects SOC 43-5051 at about 70,900 in 2025 and about 70,700 in 2035, a decline of 0.3%, with about 5,300 annual openings.
Verify the service requirements and prohibited or restricted mailing conditions → weigh and charge → confirm the amount with the customer → take payment and issue a voucher → check the label and scan status → sort and hand over and handle exceptions.
The Chinese Postal Law requires postal enterprises and their staff to protect information about users' use of postal services; real names, addresses, and contact details must not be placed in public exercises.
Inspectable outputs: accurate charges and vouchers, complete acceptance records, a clear sorting destination, pending anomalies, and the next responsible person.
Counter work, delivery, and central sorting are different positions; a branch clerk's service and transaction tasks cannot automatically imply delivery vehicle or equipment supervisor authorization.
The key judgment is whether the postage basis, the mailing conditions, and user information handling have all been verified; correctness cannot be assessed on speed alone.
Environment and rhythm: the branch counter serves customers and may require standing, moving parcels, and repeated verification during peak periods; specific shifts depend on the agency.
Mail carriers: deliver and collect mail along routes to households and institutions; route, traffic, and delivery conditions must be verified.
Postal service clerks: handle acceptance, postage transactions, mail verification, and sorting handover at a branch and are not responsible for outbound delivery by default.
Postal service clerks accept letters and parcels at the post office counter, weigh and charge, sell postage products, verify mail appearance and postage, and sort or hand over by destination. O*NET 43-5051 also covers clerks associated with US USPS contractors; whether a Chinese position has specific charging, signature, or anomaly handling authority must be verified separately under the institution and the law.
Mail carriers: deliver mail, obtain applicable signatures, and handle route anomalies; vehicle qualifications depend on the position requirements.
Postal service clerks: counter confirmation, weighing and charging, transaction vouchers, mail scanning, and anomaly handover.
Mail carriers mainly deliver route mail and delivery records; their wages or position qualifications cannot be used to explain counter clerk work.
Postal service clerks mainly deliver accurate charges, complete acceptance records, and a traceable mail handover status.
Carriers are responsible for routes and delivery, and vehicle driving must also meet the specific position qualifications.
Counter clerks are responsible for the acceptance material, charges, vouchers, and mail destination steps in their own work, and procedural exceptions are decided by authorized personnel.
Delivery locations and signatures are verified by the delivery process, and a counter clerk does not automatically take on route responsibility merely by also working in postal services.
User information, prohibited item questions, and system anomalies must be escalated per agency authority, and an exercise sample cannot replace real approval.
Both share mail identification and handover information, but branch transactions and outdoor route physical tasks differ.
A similar name does not mean the same education, wage, examination, or driving qualification; each position's announcement should be verified.
Before starting, verify the target agency, position duties, charging system, examination requirements, shifts, and user information rules; practice accurate charging and handover with fictional material.
Service object: is it a post office counter, central sorting, or outbound delivery? What are the mail types and customer contact like?
Draw the counter acceptance, sales, verification, and exception handling requirements from the real announcement, and do not guess duties from the position title.
Postage and systems: who maintains the current prices, weighing standards, and payment vouchers? How are anomalous amounts reviewed?
Practice a fictional three-item charging table listing weight, destination, options, the amount basis, and items to confirm.
Qualifications and training: does USPS list an examination? Does the Chinese institution have pre-service training and specific authorization?
No formal certificate being listed as typical BLS entry education does not mean anyone is automatically hired; USPS requirements follow its recruitment announcement, and Chinese requirements are verified separately.
Work environment: how do branch traffic, standing and lifting, shifts, and weekend arrangements appear in the target position?
Observe the acceptance and handover process on site and judge whether you can still verify material, amounts, and labels during peaks.
Privacy and safety: who handles and keeps sender addresses, payment information, or prohibited item questions?
Handle user information per agency authorization; use fictional data for exercises and state clearly the pause and handover target for anomalous items.
Pay and development: how are wage statistics, hours, contracts, and the supervisor route verified separately?
Verify individual conditions against the written announcement and contract; neither a US occupational median nor a Chinese industry average constitutes an individual offer.
If you prefer customer advice, weighing and charging, and acceptance transactions, trial the postal counter first; if you lean toward outdoor routes, central sorting, or multi-institution courier pickup and delivery, compare the adjacent occupations' real tasks item by item.
The first four rows are independent O*NET occupations, and the last two rows are an editorial summary of task emphases within the postal service clerk occupation; position qualifications, postage authority, and wages must not be borrowed across them.
Postal service clerks verify mail information, weigh and charge, sell postage products, and hand over mail at a branch, with the core being counter transactions and acceptance accuracy.
Mail carriers mainly deliver and collect mail along routes; counter clerks mainly handle acceptance, postage transactions, and vouchers, with route and vehicle requirements verified separately.
Willing to walk routes outdoors and face delivery locations and weather changes.
Delivers mail along routes, with applicable signature records and anomaly feedback.
Mail carriers
Sorters and processors route mail using equipment at processing centers more often; counter clerks first face customers to complete charges, records, and mail verification.
Likes repeated scanning, physical handling, and equipment processes.
Sorts by destination, handles bulk mail, and records equipment status.
Mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Non-postal mail clerks handle internal mail at businesses and other institutions; a post office counter involves external postal services, postage products, and transaction vouchers.
Prefers organizing internal mail flow, registration, and office collaboration.
Internal mail distribution, packaging, labels, and records.
Non-postal mail clerks
Couriers emphasize pickup, transport, and delivery routes; the postal counter emphasizes service explanation, charging, and branch handover.
Willing to pick up and deliver items at different locations and handle route arrangements.
Parcel pickup and delivery, delivery vouchers, and route anomaly notes.
Couriers and messengers
A service emphasis within the postal counter, not another occupational code; the focus is explaining service options, weighing and charging, and taking payment and issuing vouchers.
Willing to face customers to explain rules and keep transactions accurate.
Acceptance records, charging vouchers, and service option confirmation.
Counter advice and transactions
A physical handling emphasis within the same occupation and not the same as a central sorting position.
Willing to verify labels, destinations, scan status, and anomaly handover.
Mail verification, classification, and traceable handover records.
Acceptance verification and handover
Before transferring, verify the target position's location, lifting or driving requirements, charging authority, and examination conditions; use fictional mail samples to demonstrate transferable verification and recording ability.
Entry-level clerk
Produces an acceptance table from three fictional mail items, stating the source, amount basis, missing items, and human review records.
Experienced clerk
Takes responsibility for physical checks, amount confirmation, customer explanation, and handover, and does not treat generated text as official postage.
Branch supervisor
Arranges error spot checks, exception escalation, training, and final process approval.
Those transferring in
Build up postal business rules, customer communication, and physical verification first, then consider automation tools.
AI can assist with frequently asked question retrieval, form drafts, label checking prompts, and anomaly classification, but there is no evidence giving a precise adoption rate or layoff rate for postal service clerks. The postage basis, physical mail, payment vouchers, privacy, and final handling responsibility still rest with authorized personnel.
O*NET 43-5051 postal service clerk profile
Used to define acceptance, weighing and charging, checking, and counter transaction tasks; it provides no AI adoption rate.
BLS postal service workers outlook and precise projection
Used for 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational employment; the projected change cannot be attributed to AI.
ILO generative AI occupational exposure study
A cross-occupation task exposure estimate, not postal counter adoption or job loss.
Eloundou et al., “GPTs are GPTs”
A study of potential text task impact; it does not predict when postal branches will deploy it.
World Economic Forum “Future of Jobs Report 2025”
An employer expectations survey, not changes that have already occurred in 43-5051.
NIST generative AI risk management profile
Used to identify erroneous explanations, privacy leaks, and human review risks; not postal charging regulation.
Editorial task mapping
Compares O*NET postal counter tasks with potentially assistable steps; gives no overall displacement score for the occupation.
AI-assisted service explanations and form checks do not mean the postage is correct or the branch has authorized it. Any price, acceptance, or service promise to a customer must follow current rules, the real mail, and approved systems and be reviewed by staff; occupational employment change requires independent statistics.
Can draft answers to common mailing service questions.
Verifies current rules, service conditions, exceptions, and the customer's actual question.
Can flag address format and missing form fields.
A human confirms the real address, destination, label, and privacy permission.
Can generate transaction explanations or handover drafts.
The clerk verifies the amount, voucher, physical status, and responsible person before use.
This table lists O*NET occupational tasks, the potential exposure in the ILO and research papers, NIST risk control, and the BLS employment projection separately. Their objects and indicators differ: task exposure does not equal employer adoption, and employer adoption does not equal a net reduction in positions; none currently provides an AI layoff rate for postal counter clerks.
A global exposure index cannot be directly converted into an individual postal counter clerk's unemployment probability.
ILO Working Paper 140
Cross-country occupational task exposure
Text and information processing may be assisted by tools, while physical and customer interaction still require situational judgment.
The task technology research gives no timeline for postal branch AI deployment or staffing adjustment.
Eloundou et al. study
US labor task text
Large models may change some text and information tasks, but this cannot predict how many counter positions a post office will cut.
Employer expectations do not equal realized employment outcomes.
World Economic Forum 2025 report
Global employer survey
Reports expected skill change and provides no precise adoption rate for 43-5051.
The risk framework is a management tool, and postal operations still follow institutional and jurisdictional rules.
NIST AI 600-1
Generative AI risk types
Fabricated postage, wrong address suggestions, and personal information leaks require scenario-based testing and records.
The O*NET occupational task list does not measure AI tool performance.
O*NET 43-5051
Postal counter occupational tasks
Weighing and charging, verifying mail, and selling postage products are counter practice; model suggestions still need to be checked against the physical item and system.
Potential capability: tools can assist with retrieval, summarization, form checking, and handover drafts; test the error rate with fictional material first.
Actual adoption: depends on employer approval, current postage interfaces, user information permissions, and review cost; this page has no adoption rate.
Evidence is insufficient: no independent causal data was verified for the actual AI adoption rate, task time saving or error rate, overall displacement rate, or net employment impact for 43-5051 counter clerks. The BLS projection of -0.3% cannot be attributed to AI; mail sorting automation and counter generative tools are interpreted separately.
There is no evidence to assert that postal counter clerks as a whole will be replaced by AI; specific tasks, human review, and institutional deployment should be observed.
ILO exposure study; O*NET occupational tasks.
O*NET lists customer service, mathematics, records, and computer use as postal clerk skills; the importance score for programming is 16 and cannot be used to set a uniform programming threshold. Specific recruitment and examinations are covered in this page's development path and the employer announcement.
O*NET 43-5051 skills and tasks; specific recruitment conditions are verified separately in the employer announcement.
Frequently asked questions, form prompts, and handover drafts may be assisted by AI; weighing, mail verification, taking payment, and privacy responsibility cannot rely on generated text alone.
O*NET 43-5051 tasks; ILO and Eloundou et al. task research.
BLS projects counter clerks to go from about 70,900 in 2025 to 70,700 in 2035, -0.3%, with about 5,300 annual openings; the change is not attributed to AI.
BLS 2025–2035 Employment Projections Table 1.2.
A model cannot approve postage changes, handle prohibited item questions, or replace the transaction responsibility of authorized personnel.
NIST AI 600-1; postal agency rules.
Existing evidence cannot give a position disappearance year; task potential, deployment, and net employment are different indicators.
Eloundou et al. study; BLS employment projection.
Prioritize practicing current service rules, address verification, weighing and charging, vouchers, and anomaly handover; practice AI assistance only on approved systems.
O*NET occupational tasks; NIST risk management profile.
Start from requirement and permission confirmation, test tool prompts on fictional items, then verify weight, address, postage, and voucher item by item and record revisions; real acceptance and external replies are still completed by authorized personnel under branch rules.
Requirements and permissions: do not upload real sender addresses, payment information, or unpublished records to public tools.
Low-risk assistance: generate common answers and omission prompts on fictional mail and keep the original rules.
Human review: verify weight, destination, service option, charge, and label item by item and do not let the model decide directly.
Traceability: record the rule version used, tool prompts, errors found, and manual corrections for handover.
Final acceptance, payment, anomaly handling, and external replies are the responsibility of authorized personnel under agency procedures.
An erroneous postage explanation may lead to undercharging, overcharging, or a customer dispute.
Review item by item against the current postage system and the physical mail.
Leaking names, addresses, and mailing material harms user rights.
Minimize input and control access; real user information does not enter unapproved tools.
Changes in the model or rule version may cause the same mail to be classified differently.
Record the system version, inputs, review, and manual revisions.
A wrong weight, destination, or service category may change the amount and later routing.
Cross-check between the weighing equipment, the postage table, and the label.
Treating an AI-generated reply as an official promise blurs counter responsibility.
Make the reviewer and authorized scope explicit, and special services must go through agency procedures.
Verify the scope in which the customer's question and current rules apply.
Mailing service answer draft
Answer drafting
Verify whether the name and address fields are complete and do not upload real private data.
Acceptance form omission check
Omission prompts
Recompute by actual weight, destination, and service option.
Weight and postage calculation explanation
Explain the steps
Verify the physical item and rule basis of the anomalous item.
Anomalous mail classification suggestions
Classification prompts
Verify that the voucher, payment, and label are consistent.
Payment voucher and handover record
Summary drafting
Decide whether to handle the customer question according to material permissions.
Multilingual postal service explanations
Communication
Translation assistance
Confirm the handover responsible person and the anomaly status.
Shift handover and anomaly review
Handover summary
First compare human and tool suggestions on a small sample of fictional mail, recording errors, review cost and actual help, before deciding whether to include them in an approved process.
The National Bureau of Statistics released 2025 data as of May 2026; United States May 2025 wages cannot be filled in as a substitute.
CNY／person／year, pre-tax average annual wage
Industry average wages include individual income tax, personal social insurance and housing fund withheld by the employer, and cannot be treated as take-home monthly pay, a counter starting salary or piece-rate income.
Persons employed in units
Covers urban legal entities with 5 or more persons, excluding self-employed individuals and freelancers; non-private does not equal government jobs, and the industry includes many occupations.
No precise percentiles
Insufficient evidence: no nationwide median or 10/90 percentiles for postal counter staff in China were obtained; industry averages cannot be interpolated.
Industry context
You can check the unit industry context of transportation, warehousing and postal services, but this cannot be narrowed into a separate wage figure for the postal industry or counter clerks.
Job differences
The service scope and employment conditions of postal enterprise outlets, contracted services and different shifts must be checked job by job.
Not convertible across countries
United States SOC 43-5051 wages differ from China in institutions, taxes and social insurance, rate systems and statistical definitions.
Insufficient evidence: Chinese occupational wage materials do not provide estimates of wage changes for postal counter staff caused by AI; text assistance does not equal pay effects.
Chinese job titles may be written as postal counter clerk, counter service or mail acceptance staff; qualifications cannot be inferred from the English occupation code alone.
Basic education
Outlet counter service or mail acceptance
Specific education, age and recruitment methods follow the target institution's announcements; do not copy the typical US entry education.
On-the-job training
Postage systems and mail acceptance procedures
Master current rates, payment collection, receipts, privacy and exception handover; training authority is defined by the institution.
Relevant experience
Postal operations or customer service
Familiarity with customer communication and record keeping can help with entry, but the name of the experience cannot replace mail verification ability.
Cross-industry background
Retail cashiering or logistics coordination
Transferable transaction and physical verification skills; postal rules and user information protection still need to be added.
Postal enterprise outlets
Counter mail acceptance, selling postage products, customer explanations; specific job scope and contract terms depend on the institution.
Logistics and service coordination
Some processes are adjacent to courier pickup and delivery or customer service, but these are not the same occupational qualification or wage statistics.
Public service windows
Service and information verification skills can be shared; postal-specific charging and mailing rules must be learned separately.
O*NET Postal Service Clerks 43-5051｜https://www.onetonline.org/link/details/43-5051.00
USPS positions and Chinese postal institution requirements differ; this page does not establish mutual recognition of qualifications.
Insufficient evidence: no nationwide annual average openings, growth rate or wage percentiles for the single occupation of postal service clerk in China were obtained.
The roughly 5,300 annual average openings from US BLS apply only to the US market for SOC 43-5051.
National Bureau of Statistics 2025 average annual wages of urban unit employees｜https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202605/t20260515_1963707.html
In 2025, the pre-tax average annual wage of urban non-private units in transportation, warehousing and postal services was 133,981 yuan／person／year, and that of private units was 73,133 yuan／person／year. Insufficient evidence: the single-occupation wage median, percentiles and job monthly pay distribution for postal service clerks in China are still not available.
Transportation, warehousing and postal services: non-private
Pre-tax average annual wage of urban non-private units in 2025 was 133,981 yuan／person／year; it covers many occupations such as transportation, warehousing and postal services, not counter clerk wages.
Transportation, warehousing and postal services: private
Pre-tax average annual wage of urban private units in 2025 was 73,133 yuan／person／year; this cannot be used to judge the contract, starting salary or take-home income at a particular postal outlet.
Single-occupation wages for postal service clerks in China
Insufficient evidence: comparable nationwide occupational medians, 10／90 percentiles and job monthly pay distributions were not obtained; check the specific contract and wage structure when applying.
US SOC 43-5051 and Chinese job classification and rate authority are not automatically mutually recognized.
National Bureau of Statistics 2025 average annual wages of urban unit employees｜https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202605/t20260515_1963707.html
BLS 2025–2035 projects -0.3% for US postal counter clerks; this cannot be used to infer China's employment trend.
The BLS May 2025 median for US postal counter clerks is 62,130 USD/year, which cannot be converted into an individual salary in China.
May 2025 national wage 10th percentile, not a starting salary for new hires.；O*NET national wages｜https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/43-5051.00
56,740 USD/year
May 2025 national wage 25th percentile, not a fixed seniority grade.；O*NET national wages｜https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/43-5051.00
BLS May 2025 annual wage median for counter clerks, not an individual quote.；BLS Occupational Outlook｜https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/postal-service-workers.htm
70,890 USD/year
May 2025 national wage 75th percentile, does not indicate promotion speed.；O*NET national wages｜https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/43-5051.00
May 2025 national wage 90th percentile, not an upper limit everyone can reach.；O*NET national wages｜https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/43-5051.00
about 70,900 people
BLS table 1.2 base period for the 2025 employment projections, a different statistical series from OEWS survey employment estimates.；BLS employment projections table 1.2｜https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
BLS projects a net decrease of about 200 people from 2025–2035; both base period and end period values are rounded.；BLS employment projections table 1.2｜https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
about 5,300/year
BLS projected annual average openings include replacement needs from turnover and retirement, and do not equal net job increases.；BLS employment projections table 1.2｜https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
US data are limited to SOC 43-5051 Postal Service Clerks; O*NET wage percentiles, BLS employment projections and the OOH combined occupation page are interpreted separately. Chinese jobs, individual hiring conditions and real postage cannot be inferred from them.
US references use O*NET national wage percentiles, BLS employment projections and OOH postal occupation breakouts respectively. Wage percentiles are not seniority grades; annual average openings include replacement needs and are not net growth or an individual's probability of being hired.
Counter transactions, mail acceptance and customer explanation tasks are combined differently; a nationwide wage distribution cannot show a particular candidate's service ability.
Counter duties and workload
Shift patterns, weekend work, outlet traffic and the employer's contract affect actual pay and benefits; BLS wage tables do not contain individual quotes.
Hours and job scheduling
Accurate weighing, charging, receipts and exception handover can demonstrate ability; wage percentiles do not guarantee hiring or promotion.
Skills and actual jobs
BLS projects counter clerks declining from about 70,900 to 70,700 in 2025–2035, -0.3%, with about 5,300 openings per year; the 32,200 openings for postal service workers overall cannot be applied here.
Postal service workers overall
BLS OOH 2025 median for the combined occupation, provided only as background on the same page, not counter clerk wages.
Postal counter clerks
BLS OOH 2025 median for the exact occupation breakout, the main indicator on this page.
BLS OOH 2025 another occupation breakout; does not infer individual wages for counter clerks.
Postal sorting and processing clerks
BLS OOH 2025 another occupation breakout, not equal to counter service jobs.
National wage percentiles are a distribution of all incumbents and cannot be converted into new hire, experienced worker or supervisor grades.
The four wage figures on the same OOH page correspond to the overall group or different occupations; the differences cannot be treated as an individual's promotion raise.
The BLS employment projections base period, OEWS survey employment and OOH work environment each have different purposes and should not be mixed to compute the number of unemployed people.
USPS positions may have examinations and specific employment conditions; the BLS typical entry of no formal educational credential does not equal automatic hiring.
62,130 USD/year is the May 2025 US 43-5051 wage median; not applicable to the Chinese mainland.
The lowest 10% wage is no higher than 42,600 USD／year (O*NET national wage page); the 10th percentile boundary is not a minimum wage or a new hire starting salary.
62,130 USD/year is an occupational median, not an individual guaranteed income.
The highest 10% wage is no lower than 75,030 USD／year (O*NET national wage page); the 90th percentile boundary is not a wage ceiling or a fixed grade.
O*NET Postal Service Clerks interests are mainly Conventional, with some Realistic and service transaction elements; fit should be verified through weighing and charging, label verification and customer explanations.
Occupational interest description; does not predict individual job performance.
Those who only enjoy chatting with customers but resist repeated verification, physical handling and record keeping should try the work first.
Personality dimensions such as conscientiousness can help you reflect on how you maintain accuracy, but this page has no evidence for hiring postal counter staff based on Big Five scores.
Personality frameworks are for self-exploration, not a job threshold.
Real accuracy and communication ability must be judged from behavior and training; personality scores cannot substitute.
Whether you can patiently verify weight, destination, amount and handover is closer to daily work than whether you are good at chatting.
MBTI describes preferences and cannot determine who can work accurately at a postal counter.
O*NET interest dimension scores: Conventional C 93, Realistic R 37, Enterprising E 29. These are occupational interest scores, not shares of workers, individual match rates or hiring thresholds.
Not evidence of occupational ability.
Conventional interests help with following procedures, but physical handling, customer communication and authority judgment are still needed.
RIASEC is for exploration only and cannot replace real rate exercises and job announcements.
Do not use four-letter types to exclude applicants.
The Enneagram cannot infer the service or charging performance of postal service clerks.
This page has no validity evidence for hiring use.
Personality labels cannot be treated as charging or postal business qualifications.
Basic arithmetic helps with charging and making change, but official amounts must still be verified against the institution's system and current rules.
Test with actual exercises, not an IQ threshold.
Weak math can be improved, but basic amount and unit verification cannot be skipped.
Listening and calm communication help explain service options and handle customer questions; authority limits and accurate records are equally important.
Insufficient evidence: no occupation-specific predictive validity of emotional intelligence assessments for postal counter clerk performance or unified score threshold was verified; polite explanation, clarifying missing items and escalation are task behavior suggestions.
"High emotional intelligence" cannot replace weighing, charging, receipts and user information protection.
Assessments only help raise observation questions. Insufficient evidence: no occupation-specific or comparative validity of these assessments for counter clerk performance was verified; job announcements, current rates, physical verification, privacy rules and actual work samples still need to be checked.
You can use your willingness to repeatedly verify weight, address, amount and receipts, and whether you can patiently explain missing items, to judge whether you like counter work; this is an editorial suggestion, not fit statistics.
Mail carriers
Prefers outdoor routes, delivery points and mobile work.
There may be vehicle or route conditions; counter job requirements cannot be inherited directly.
Mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Prefers handling bulk mail, scanning and equipment processes.
Plant work and counter transactions have different duties; lifting and equipment requirements must be checked separately.
Non-postal mail clerks
Prefers internal mail distribution and record keeping within an organization.
May not necessarily handle outward postage transactions and customer charging at a post office.
Couriers and messengers
More willing to pick up and deliver parcels across locations and handle routes.
Traffic, vehicle and delivery conditions need to be checked; counter experience does not transfer automatically.
Customer service representatives
Prefers answering complaints and order questions rather than physical mail handling.
Communication skills transfer, but postal rates and mailing rules still need to be learned.
Postmasters and mail superintendents
Willing to organize people, shifts and mail operations quality.
Supervisory positions carry separate management and authorization responsibilities and are not automatic promotions from senior counter work.
People who can verify weight, address, amount and receipts over the long term in repetitive mail acceptance work are more likely to enjoy daily counter work.
Yes. Quiet verification and record keeping is an advantage, but you still need to explain rules to customers and hand over exceptions.
Yes. Customer communication strengths are useful, but charging, label and receipt verification must still be performed.
There is no best MBTI type; judge by actual rate exercises, service behavior and job requirements.
O*NET shows Conventional interests as most prominent; real individuals do not have to match a single standard type.
This page has no evidence that personality scores independently predict postal counter staff performance.
Basic arithmetic can be made up through practice, but official postage still needs system verification; you cannot force a calculation when the destination is missing.
Patient listening helps explain service limits; specific charges and privacy responsibilities cannot be summed up as "emotional intelligence".
No. The Enneagram can at most assist reflection and cannot replace real service and accuracy work.
Using the same fictional mail, do counter charging, sorting labels and delivery route explanations separately, and compare which type of work you are willing to verify repeatedly.
Positive signal: willing to recheck amounts, labels and receipts according to rules, and clearly hand over exceptions.
Caution signal: skipping address, weighing or customer confirmation when in a hurry.
Try it: use three fictional mail items and a practice price list to calculate the A1/A2 subtotal, and mark A3 as pending confirmation when information is insufficient.
O*NET interest data describe common preferences in an occupation, not a hiring test.
The O*NET task list is used to check counter weighing, transactions and mail routing.
BLS typical entry-level education applies only to US statistics; actual USPS qualifications still depend on the job announcement.
USPS may have examinations and pre-employment training; Chinese institution requirements must be checked separately.
Adjacent postal occupation materials are used for task comparison and do not constitute mutual recognition of qualifications.
Route, sorting and counter work can share label verification, but the work objects and responsibilities differ.
Customer service and postal counters can share communication skills; service technique alone is not enough.
User information protection must be handled according to the applicable jurisdiction and institutional authorization.
Counter work first requires verifying the customer's needs, destination, service, weight and rate basis; when information is incomplete, pause quoting and escalate.
Incorrect mail acceptance, charging, privacy leaks and handover discrepancies are the main risks; the scenario is an editorial exercise and does not represent accident rates.
O*NET defines counter work. Articles 23–26 of China's Postal Law cover addresses, prohibited and restricted items and acceptance inspection, and Article 35 covers confidentiality of mail and user information; specific operations must follow current institutional rules and authority.
Sender, recipient and outlet
Choosing the wrong address or service causes delays, misdelivery or return.
Repeat the destination and service before accepting mail, and verify labels and receipts; pause if in doubt.
When the address the customer says differs from the label, do not rewrite it for the customer from memory.
Customer and outlet
Recording the wrong weight band or amount causes overcharging, undercharging and later disputes.
After weighing, verify the band, system price and receipt; in the exercise A1 is 9 points and A2 is 23 points.
A3 is missing a destination and has no parcel band; the 32-point subtotal cannot be quoted as the total for three items.
Sender, recipient and processing staff
If the nature of the item or the packaging is not verified, it may be refused, damaged or create safety problems.
Article 25 of China's Postal Law distinguishes inspection of letters from non-letter mail: the contents of letters must not be inspected, and non-letter mail must be inspected on the spot when accepted. Follow institutional procedures and refer prohibited or restricted item questions to staff with authority.
When the parcel contents description is vague, do not promise that it can definitely be sent.
Customer and postal institution
Leaking a customer's address, phone number or transaction receipt can harm privacy.
Handle information only in authorized systems and within the necessary scope, and do not use real customer information to make work samples.
Sending a photo of a shipping label to a personal chat group to get quick help is a practice to avoid.
Customer, handover staff and downstream processing team
Missed scans, wrong handovers or inconsistent status records hinder tracking.
Verify quantity, markings, status and the person handing over item by item, and escalate discrepancies promptly.
If there are three physical items but the system records two, isolate the discrepancy and recheck first; do not sign off the handover directly.
Queuing customers and counter staff
System downtime or equipment failure affects prices, receipts and service timeliness.
Explain the current limitation and follow the outlet's contingency plan; do not replace a formal quote with a manual estimate.
When the weighing equipment is abnormal, pause charging transactions that depend on it.
O*NET defines acceptance and charging tasks; the risk scenario is an editorial synthesis and does not represent accident frequency.
BLS describes the work environment and does not provide the probability of counter risks occurring.
China's Postal Law covers user information confidentiality; specific implementation follows current rules and institutional procedures.
The Personal Information Protection Law defines the boundary for processing user data in China; A1–A3 use only fictional data, and the exercise points do not represent actual charges or accidents.
The USPS examination page only supports information about US employer examinations and free applications; it is not a rule for prohibited and restricted items, rates or outlet contingency in China.
| Postal sorter |
| Sort by destination or delivery route, move items and handle exception items. |
| Check sorting equipment, safety and shift requirements. |
| Show fictional sorting rules and mis-sort rechecking. |
| The core is internal mail flow. |
| Non-postal mail clerks | Receive, send, distribute and record mail at non-postal organizations. | Check the employer's internal service scope and systems. | Show the mail log and responsibility handover. | Does not automatically have postal counter acceptance authority. |
| Customer service representatives | Answer service questions, handle inquiries and record feedback. | Check the specific industry, channels and complaint process. | Show a one-page inquiry record and escalation rules. | Mainly handles information and after-sales, not acceptance operations. |
Education and training
The BLS 43-5051 typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential, with short-term on-the-job training common; specific hiring conditions follow the employer's announcement.
Check the education, age, identity, language and examination requirements of the target position.
Customer service and verification
Use fictional items to explain needs, destination, weight and options, demonstrating accurate explanation and the ability to pause on exceptions.
Check whether another person can recalculate the charge from the record and identify unknown items.
Official tasks
O*NET 43-5051 describes accepting mail, weighing and charging, inspecting mail, selling postal products and classifying.
Check whether the announcement is for a postal counter rather than delivery, sorting or general customer service.
Examination and privacy
The USPS examination follows the specific job announcement; applications and examinations are free. Real addresses, contact details and transaction data must not be included in work samples.
Check the official recruitment page and local rules; use only fictional materials in work samples.
Material setup｜all editorially fictional
The practice outlet uses a fictional point schedule: the first band for standard letters ≤100 grams is 9 points; over 100 grams up to 500 grams is 23 points. For arithmetic practice only, not real postage or service rules.
A1: same-city standard letter 80 grams, complete address, first band selected; should count 9 points. A2: out-of-town standard letter 320 grams, complete address, second band selected; should count 23 points.
A3: parcel 1.2 kilograms, destination missing; this table has no parcel band, so no quote can be given. All three use fictional names and addresses; real customer data must not be entered.
Task and deliverable｜45 minutes
0–5 minutes read the materials; 5–20 minutes build a three-row table listing category, weight, destination, band, known points, unknown items and next step; 20–30 minutes recalculate independently; 30–40 minutes write the A3 clarification and customer explanation; 40–45 minutes review and revise against the rubric below.
For A3, at minimum clarify the destination and the selected service, then check the applicable parcel rate with an authorized supervisor; write down what is pending confirmation, the handling role and the next step, and do not enter real names or addresses.
Reference answer and customer explanation
A1｜standard letter｜80 grams｜same city, complete address｜≤100 grams｜9 points｜band information complete｜record according to exercise rules. A2｜standard letter｜320 grams｜out of town, complete address｜100<weight≤500 grams｜23 points｜band information complete｜recheck label. A3｜parcel｜1.2 kilograms=1200 grams｜destination missing｜parcel band not provided｜unknown｜destination, service and parcel rate pending check｜pause quoting and refer to authorized supervisor.
Confirmed subtotal 9+23=32 points, covering only A1+A2; the total price for three items is unknown, and A3 unknown does not equal 0. The points are editorially fictional and cannot be converted into CNY or USD postage.
Customer explanation example: the subtotal for the first two letters in the practice table is 32 points. The third item is a parcel and needs a destination and service option added, and the current table has no parcel rate. I will first ask an authorized supervisor to verify; before confirmation, no fee or acceptance can be promised.
Review rubric｜editorial self-assessment, not an employer examination
Four items scored 0–2 each, total 0–8: (a) bands and units: 2 points if the 80 gram and 320 gram bands and the 1200 gram conversion are all correct, 1 point if partly correct, 0 points if the wrong band is applied; (b) arithmetic and scope: 2 points if 9, 23 and 32 are correct and limited to A1+A2, 1 point if the arithmetic is right but the subtotal scope is unclear, 0 points if 32 is reported as the total for three items.
(c) missing items and authority: 2 points for asking about destination and service, pointing out that there is no parcel band and pausing to escalate, 1 point for pointing out only some missing items, 0 points for guessing the A3 fee; (d) explanation and records: 2 points if the customer explanation clearly marks the fictional points, the unknown and the handover role, 1 point if one item is missed, 0 points if real customer data is used or an actual fee is promised.
Error example: A3 reuses the letter second band of 23 points and reports 55 points for three items. Score 0／0／0／0=0 points; first delete the guessed amount, restore the A3 unknown and the 32-point subtotal, then add the clarification and handover. The score only helps improve the work sample and cannot prove real operating qualification or hiring.
Mail acceptance checklist
Record the known and unknown items for A1–A3 row by row; leave the price blank for A3.
Check: another person can independently arrive at 9, 23 and unknown.
Calculation and explanation card
Write 9+23=32 points and note that it covers only A1+A2.
Check: do not describe the exercise points as real postage.
Exception escalation record
Explain the destination missing for A3, the parcel rate and the person who must be consulted.
Customer explanation
Use clear wording to explain the two items that can be quoted now and the one item still to be verified.
| Stage | What may be assessed | Observable evidence | Use boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requirement confirmation | Whether the destination and service type are clarified | A3 has no destination set; clarify before quoting | Specific interview questions are decided by the employer |
| Calculation check | Whether the fictional bands are used correctly | A1 9 points, A2 23 points, subtotal 32 points | Does not represent a real rate test |
| Exception handling | Whether incomplete transactions are paused and handed over | Record missing items, the responsible person and the next step | Acceptance must not be promised on one's own |
| Privacy and handover | Whether only necessary customer information is handled | Fictional materials for drills; real materials follow the unit's rules | Applicable rules are checked by location and institution |
Day One
Read the O*NET tasks and A1–A3, and draw clear lines between counter, delivery and sorting duties.
Day Two
Determine the weight band of A1 and A2 using the fictional point schedule.
Day Three
Independently calculate 9+23=32 points and state the subtotal scope clearly.
Day Four
Check the missing destination and parcel band for A3 and write clarification questions.
Day Five
Produce a three-row checklist and one paragraph of customer explanation.
Day Six
Ask another person to recalculate item by item against the four-dimension rubric, and point out the errors of treating A3 unknown as 0, applying a letter band or treating 32 points as the total price.
Day Seven
Revise the work sample; find specific counter positions through China Post's current official recruitment entrance, or check the announcement and VEA 477 requirements for USPS sales and service positions, recording dates and information not obtained.
| Qualification／role | Who it mainly suits | Practical job-search role | Whether it is a general entry threshold | Application／registration conditions | Level of investment | Important limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-the-job training | Newly hired postal counter staff | BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as the typical path | Training does not guarantee independent authorization | According to the employer's arrangement | Investment during work | Specific operations must follow the unit's systems and rules |
| Position examination | Those applying for USPS positions that require an examination | USPS notifies the corresponding assessment according to the recruitment announcement | Not universal across all locations and positions | Check through the official recruitment entrance | Applications and examinations are free | Beware of paid test-taking services |
| Customer service practice | Those who need to improve counter communication | Can demonstrate requirement confirmation and exception explanation | Not a mandatory certificate | Use fictional materials A1–A3 | Can be completed in a short time | Does not equal real mail acceptance experience |
| Arithmetic and record practice | Those who need to improve charge verification | Show weight band and subtotal verification | Not an employer rate certification | Practise with the fictional point schedule | Low | Real fees follow the current official system |
| Privacy and information training | Employees who handle customer data | Handle data according to the organization's and location's rules | Cannot obtain customer authorization on one's own | Use the unit's training | Ongoing | Work samples must not contain real addresses |
| Delivery/sorting transfer training | Those considering adjacent occupations | Job tasks and requirements differ | Counter training is not automatically mutually recognized | Check the target position announcement | Varies by position | Corresponding physical, route or equipment capabilities must be added |
The education and short-term training listed by BLS are US occupational statistical definitions and do not replace a specific employer's hiring conditions.
The USPS position examination is determined by the announcement; applications and examinations are free, so do not buy examination eligibility from third parties.
China Post position conditions, service prices and personal information handling must be checked against current local official rules; this page does not infer a unified qualification.
The fictional point exercise is only for testing verification and communication and cannot be used as a basis for real postage or real customer transactions.
The China Post 2027 joint campus recruitment master announcement was published on September 7, 2026, targeting 2027 graduates and graduates within the career-choice period, and lists online application, screening and written examination steps, with a group resume deadline of October 31, 2026; each unit's specific conditions still follow the position requirements. The master announcement has no counter position wages and cannot prove that counters in a particular place are still hiring.
The Liaoyuan branch July 13, 2026 labor dispatch procurement announcement includes positions such as postal counter clerks, with pay agreed separately; the 50 yuan per person per month is a procurement management fee, not an employee monthly salary, and it is not a job application announcement.
Insufficient evidence: complete verified recruitment conditions and wage quotes for current Chinese counter positions have not been obtained, so the number of positions, hiring ratios or a unified qualification cannot be estimated. When applying, check the position number, region, contract, shift pattern, fee structure and deadline.
US BLS describes the typical entry as no formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training; the USPS examination follows the announcement. Chinese position conditions are checked item by item.
Check the destination, weight and service category against the checklist and pause promptly when items are missing.
Basic mail acceptance
Can accurately calculate rates, issue receipts and explain options.
Independent charging
Can record exception items, handle customer inquiries and escalate to staff with authority.
Exception handling
Assist with handover, training or process review within authorized scope.
Service coordination
First practise acceptance verification, fee subtotals and exception explanations with fictional A1–A3, then compare with the positions and examination conditions in real announcements.
Training, examinations and position authorization are checked separately; real transactions follow only the outlet's current systems.
Chinese and US conditions are checked separately
US typical education is no formal educational credential, with short-term on-the-job training; individual employers may have additional conditions.
BLS is used for the US occupational statistical description of education and training.
O*NET is used for counter task boundaries and does not represent employer position requirements.
USPS explains US recruitment examinations; the specific announcement takes precedence.
China's Postal Law is used for user information confidentiality boundaries.
On-the-job training
Practise weighing, service selection and receipts.
Can derive 9, 23 and unknown from the fictional A1–A3.
Complete counter acceptance and records under supervision.
Counter novice
Systems training
Learn rate, payment and tracking systems.
Fees, labels and receipts are consistent with each other.
Handle routine mail transactions independently.
Counter clerk
Exception process training
Be familiar with prohibited and restricted items, packaging and complaint escalation.
Pauses and leaves a record when information is missing.
Handle exceptions and hand over to a supervisor.
Senior clerk
Management training depends on the position
Learn scheduling, quality checks and feedback.
Team error rates and handovers can be reviewed.
Assist with counter operations within authorization.
Service supervisor
Basic acceptance training
Start with mail acceptance and service explanations.
Customer needs, addresses and receipt records are complete.
Explain postal services under supervision.
Service novice
Communication training
Practise rate explanations and issue logging.
Can clearly explain fees and unknown items.
Handle routine inquiries and transactions.
Service clerk
Escalation process training
Add complaint and exception item handling.
Dispute records include facts, impact and next step.
Refer complex cases to authorized staff.
Exception coordinator
Supervisor training depends on the announcement
Add staff coaching and service review.
Can coach colleagues on reviewing customer communication.
Assist with outlet customer service improvement.
Service supervisor
Logbook training
Learn scanning, labels and batch records.
Fictional handover records are traceable item by item.
Organize acceptance information under supervision.
Records novice
Systems training
Practise scan status and handover verification.
Physical items, system and quantities match.
Maintain routine mail flow records.
Handover clerk
Exception record training
Add missed scan, wrong address and return processes.
Discrepancies can be located and have a responsible person.
Coordinate exception item investigation and handover.
Exception records clerk
Operations training depends on the position
Add cross-shift review and training.
Handover quality checks and improvement records can be verified.
Assist with process review within authorization.
Records supervisor
BLS 43-5051 Postal Service Clerks: about 70,900 in the United States in 2025 and about 70,700 in 2035, a net decrease of about 200 (-0.3%); about 5,300 openings per year including replacements. China has no comparable single-occupation projection on this page.
United States nationwide
about 70,900 in 2025, about 70,700 in 2035, a net decrease of about 200.
Data are rounded; does not equal current outlet hiring.
Employment size and net change
SOC 43-5051 Postal Service Clerks
70,900→70,700; about -200
United States nationwide
2025–2035 annual average
about 5,300 openings, including replacements after transfers and exits.
Openings are not net additions or an individual hiring rate.
Annual average job openings
SOC 43-5051 Postal Service Clerks
about 5,300/year
Chinese mainland
2025 industry wages; no single-occupation projection
The National Bureau of Statistics provides industry and unit type average wage background.
Industry wages cannot be used to infer counter job growth, openings or individual wages.
Single-occupation employment projection
No comparable definition has been established for postal service clerks in China
Insufficient evidence: no precise public value was obtained for this page
BLS OOH wage and work background for postal service workers overall and for the clerk, carrier and sorter occupation breakouts; the 32,200 annual openings are for the overall group and are not a substitute for counter clerks.
BLS EP table 1.2, the 43-5051 standalone occupation: 70.9→70.7 thousand, -0.3%, 5.3 thousand annual average openings; not a China projection or an AI causal claim.
The National Bureau of Statistics provides only Chinese industry wage background.
O*NET is used for adjacent task comparison; its old projection period is not applied.
Add routes, delivery operations and the driving or walking conditions required by the position.
Shared mail address verification, customer communication and handover records.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): medium
Add sorting equipment, safety and shift processes.
Shared mail category, destination identification and exception item handling.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): close
Add the mail log and internal service processes of non-postal organizations.
Shared receiving, sending, classification, recording and handover.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): medium
Add courier pickup and delivery, routes and time management.
Shared parcel information verification and customer handover.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): medium
Add multichannel inquiries, complaint records and product knowledge.
Shared customer communication and problem explanation.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): medium
Add outlet operations, staff supervision and compliance responsibility.
Shared postal processes, exception escalation and customer service.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): far
Add retail cashiering, merchandise and return processes.
Shared cash or system transactions, receipts and customer service.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): medium distance
Add retail product presentation, inventory and sales processes.
Shared face-to-face customer service and product explanation.
Editorial task comparison (not a transfer success rate): medium
Self-service machines, label recognition and AI customer service may change some operations; task research cannot directly compute layoffs. BLS projects about -0.3% for US 43-5051 in 2025–2035, without attributing the change to AI alone.
Insufficient evidence: no nationwide single-occupation wage distribution was obtained for this page. National Bureau of Statistics industry and unit type average wages cannot be treated as postal counter clerk wages; check the specific outlet, region and contract when job hunting.
No. The BLS May 2025 43-5051 annual wage median is 62,130 USD; the O*NET national 10/25/75/90 percentiles are 42,600/56,740/70,890/75,030 USD. Percentiles are not an experience ladder.
BLS lists the typical US entry education for this occupation as no formal educational credential, with short-term on-the-job training common; specific employers may set additional conditions. The USPS examination is arranged according to the announcement, and applications and examinations are free.
This page found no postal counter practice certificate that applies uniformly across regions and employers. Position examinations, on-the-job training and operating authorization are different matters; confirm them with the target institution's announcements and local rules.
Identifying the address and service type, entering weight and fees, judging prohibited and restricted items, protecting customer information and tracking handovers. When information is incomplete, pause any promise and escalate according to outlet procedures.
BLS projects that US 43-5051 will decline from about 70,900 in 2025 to about 70,700 in 2035, -0.3%, with still about 5,300 openings per year. Delivery, sorting, non-postal mail handling and customer service can be compared, and transfer conditions follow announcements.
FermatMind career content team (editorially compiled; does not claim review by postal practitioners)
Occupational tasks are based on O*NET 43-5051; US wages and employment are based on BLS 2025–2035 and O*NET wages; Chinese data are used only as industry statistical boundaries.
Review date for this round: 2026-10-12. Checked the O*NET counter occupation and national wages, the BLS standalone projection and four postal wage figures, the USPS position examination, the Postal Law and the China Post campus and labor procurement pages. A campus master announcement cannot prove that local counters are hiring, and a procurement management fee cannot serve as an employee wage; specific position conditions and the wage gap are retained.
A1–A3 and the exercise points are entirely fictional and cannot serve as real postage or transactions. US occupational classification does not establish mutual recognition of Chinese qualifications; work samples must not contain real customer data.
Counter acceptance, weighing and charging, postal product transactions, mail verification and sorting.
Interest dimension scores C 93, R 37, E 29; not shares of workers, individual match rates or hiring thresholds.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page; 2025 wages; older outlook
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Occupational tasks and interests apply to the United States; the page's old projection period is not used for this page's 2025–35 employment figures.
2026-10-03
Selling postage at the counter, accepting mail, charging and answering customer questions.
Clerks 2025 wage median 62,130 USD; 70,900 to 70,700 people.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
US
May 2025 wage; 2025–2035 projection
official occupational outlook
Occupation-specific
The OOH main page covers three postal worker groups; only the standalone line labelled clerks is cited, and the combined total is not a substitute.
2026-10-03
about 70,900 in 2025, about 70,700 in 2035, a net decrease of about 200.
Growth rate -0.3%, about 5,300 openings per year; typically no formal educational credential.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
US
2025–2035
official employment projection table
Occupation-specific
Projections are rounded; annual average openings include replacement needs and do not represent an individual hiring rate.
2026-10-03
OEWS May 2025 43-5051 survey employment estimate 73,720 people, annual mean wage 61,860 USD; interpreted separately from the annual wage median of 62,130 USD and the EP base period of 70,900 people.
Individual wages, local positions and contract conditions must be checked separately.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
US
May 2025
official wage survey
Occupation-specific
OEWS survey employment estimates and the EP projection base period are different statistical series and are not subtracted to give the number of unemployed people.
2026-10-03
Pre-tax average annual wages of urban non-private／private units in transportation, warehousing and postal services in 2025 were 133,981／73,133 yuan／person／year.
Industry background spanning transportation, warehousing, postal services and occupations; it cannot be used to infer counter clerk wage percentiles, job monthly pay or contract conditions.
National Bureau of Statistics
CN
2025; published 2026-05
official statistical release
contextual
Published by industry and unit type; no nationwide wage median is listed separately for postal counter staff in China.
2026-10-03
Articles 23–26 cover address completion, prohibited and restricted items and inspection; the contents of letters must not be inspected, and non-letter mail must be inspected on the spot.
Article 35 provides for confidentiality of mail and user service information; counter work is carried out according to the applicable jurisdiction, current rules and institutional authority.
National People's Congress; reposted by the Yunnan Provincial Postal Administration
CN
2015 amended text; reposted 2016-05-13
official law
contextual
Applies to China's postal operations; specific services and position authority still need to be checked against current rules.
2026-10-03
Names, addresses and contact details in acceptance records must be handled according to authorization.
Fictional exercises do not use real sender information.
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
CN
effective 2021-11-01
official law
contextual
Used only where personal information processing applies, and does not replace a specific postal institution's procedures.
2026-09-26
Deliver and collect mail along routes and handle delivery.
Used to compare outdoor delivery with outlet counter service.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Carrier duties differ from counter acceptance, and qualifications and wages are not interchangeable.
2026-10-03
Sorting centres handle mail and equipment operations.
Scanning and label verification can be shared with the counter, but the work location differs.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Plant sorting operations are not equivalent to counter transaction responsibility.
2026-10-03
Internal mail distribution and record keeping within an organization.
Different from postage sales and mail acceptance at a post office counter.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Non-postal mail clerks are a separate occupation; their wages are not borrowed for USPS clerk statistics.
2026-10-03
Pick up and deliver documents and parcels, possibly by vehicle or on foot.
Used to compare physical transport with outlet transactions.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Courier pickup and delivery route work is not equivalent to postal counter acceptance.
2026-10-03
Estimates the potential task exposure to generative AI.
Counter physical verification, payment and exception handover cannot be directly inferred as replaced from text task exposure.
The BLS projection for this occupation is not attributed to AI.
International Labour Organization
Global
2025
intergovernmental working paper
contextual
Task exposure is not the AI adoption rate, replacement rate or unemployment rate for postal counter staff.
2026-09-26
Fictional A1 9 points and A2 23 points, confirming a subtotal of 32 points; A3 is missing a destination and no parcel rate is provided, so the total price for three items is unknown.
The 45-minute task, the four-dimension rubric and the error feedback are all editorial designs, not real postage, a USPS examination or a hiring standard.
FermatMind editorial team
Global / editorial
reviewed 2026-10-03
editorial synthesis
Editorial synthesis
The A1–A3 rate points are exercise settings, not real postage or an employer standard.
2026-10-03
Used to identify AI text misleading, privacy and human review risks.
Actual adoption of counter systems and authority are decided by the institution.
NIST
US / general
2024
government risk framework
contextual
A voluntary risk framework, not a mandatory regulation specific to China's postal industry.
2026-09-26
Discusses the potential impact of large models on occupational tasks.
Must not be converted into a postal counter layoff rate.
Eloundou et al.
US / cross-occupation
2023
research paper
contextual
Potential task impact does not predict the adoption timing or employment outcome of postal counter positions.
2026-09-26
Used to discuss general expectations of skill change.
US occupational projections are still provided from the precise BLS line.
World Economic Forum
Global
2025–2030 expectations
employer survey report
contextual
Employer expectations are not the realized employment change for 43-5051.
2026-09-26
Sales and Service Associate and PSE Sales and Service Distribution Associate correspond to VEA 477; whether an examination is required depends on the job announcement.
USPS applications, employment information and examinations are free, and this is not extrapolated to Chinese qualifications.
United States Postal Service
US / USPS
accessed 2026-10-03
official employer guidance
contextual
Whether an examination is required follows the specific recruitment announcement and is not extrapolated to Chinese postal institutions.
2026-10-03
Organizes and supervises postal staff and operations.
Counter experience does not automatically grant supervisory authority.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Postmasters handle management and scheduling and are not the same as counter clerks.
2026-10-03
National annual wage 10/25/50/75/90 percentiles are 42,600/56,740/62,130/70,890/75,030 USD.
US statistics are not converted into individual pay in China.
O*NET OnLine
US
May 2025
official occupational wage table
Occupation-specific
Wage percentiles are a distribution of incumbents, not new hire, senior or management grades.
2026-10-03
The application process varies by position and system; qualifications such as age, identity and background follow USPS official requirements and the specific position.
The PSE Sales and Service Distribution Associate is listed in the new USPS Careers system; qualifications and examinations cannot be inferred as hiring from the BLS typical education.
United States Postal Service
US / USPS
accessed 2026-10-03
official employer guidance
contextual
The USPS recruitment process applies only to that employer, and specific positions follow the announcement.
2026-10-03
Handle customer questions, orders and complaints.
Used to compare front-desk service with postal operations.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Customer service representatives and postal counter clerks can share communication skills, but postage and mail responsibilities differ.
2026-10-03
Collect payment, issue receipts and answer customer questions.
Cashier tasks are adjacent, but there is no postal acceptance or rate authority.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Cashier tasks are adjacent, but there is no postal acceptance or rate authority.
2026-10-03
Present merchandise, calculate prices and process payment.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupation profile
contextual
Retail tasks are used only for customer transaction comparison and do not infer postal occupation wages.
2026-10-03
42,600 to 75,030 USD are the 10th to 90th percentile boundaries.
The median of 62,130 USD comes from 2025 US occupational statistics.
O*NET OnLine
US
May 2025
official occupational wage table
Occupation-specific
Wage percentiles cannot be mapped directly to grades or individual quotes.
2026-10-03
Customer contact, repetitive tasks, standing and physical handling.
Specific job arrangements and institutional procedures differ.
O*NET OnLine
US
2026 page
official occupational work context
Occupation-specific
Work context comes from a US worker sample and is not extrapolated to outlet frequency in China.
2026-10-03
Targets 2027 graduates and graduates within the career-choice period; each unit's specific conditions follow the position requirements.
The recruitment process includes online application, screening, written examination and interview; there are no counter wage quotes.
China Post Group Corporation Limited
CN
published 2026-09-07; group resume deadline 2026-10-31
official employer recruitment announcement
Recruitment sample
A group campus master announcement; specific counter position conditions and wages were not obtained, and it cannot prove that counters in a particular place are still hiring or be extrapolated to open recruitment.
2026-10-03
Employment service arrangements and position titles can be checked; individual applications or wage quotes are not provided.
Insufficient evidence: complete position recruitment conditions for the counter staff covered by this announcement were not obtained.
China Post Group Corporation Limited
CN / Liaoyuan
historical procurement announcement dated 2026-07-13
official procurement announcement
contextual
Labor service procurement covering postal counter clerks and other positions, not a job recruitment announcement; pay is agreed separately, and the 50 yuan／person／month is a procurement management fee and cannot serve as an individual monthly salary.
2026-10-03