Postman/postwoman
Also known as: delivery man, bike messenger, postal service worker, in house messenger, mailwoman, bicycle messenger
About this occupation
Postmen/Postwomen deliver mails and parcel posts to residences and businesses. They perform mail delivery and collect signatures from the recipients. They perform other duties in connection with mail services from post offices or related organisations.
Essential skills and knowledge
- differentiate types of packages
- use geographic information systems
- establish daily priorities
- operate mailing information systems
- road traffic laws
- analyse ways to reduce travel time
- interpret traffic signals
- maintain privacy of service users
- handle mail
- organise mail deliveries
- implement environmental protection measures
- act reliably
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Couriers and Messengers (O*NET 43-5021.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Deliver and pick up medical records, lab specimens, and medications to and from hospitals and other medical facilities.
- Walk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials.
- Load vehicles with listed goods, ensuring goods are loaded correctly and taking precautions with hazardous goods.
- Receive messages or materials to be delivered, and information on recipients, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, and delivery instructions, communicated via telephone, two-way radio, or in person.
- Deliver messages and items, such as newspapers, documents, and packages, between establishment departments and to other establishments and private homes.
- Record information, such as items received and delivered and recipients' responses to messages.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Realistic, Social
Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Time Management, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$39,200 a year (2025), 68,640 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
- Light Truck Drivers
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
- Postal Service Clerks
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
- Driver/Sales Workers
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Cargo and Freight Agents
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.