Postmasters and Mail Superintendents

These professionals oversee the daily flow of mail and coordinate the staff who sort and deliver it. On any given day, postmasters and superintendents focus on organizing, planning, and scheduling postal activities. They spend significant time communicating with supervisors and subordinates, resolving workplace conflicts, and making critical operational decisions. Using computers and administrative systems is a regular part of the job to ensure public safety, security, and efficient processing.

Success in this role requires strong enterprising interests and a leadership-oriented work style. Managers must excel in active listening, reading comprehension, and personnel management to guide and motivate their teams. They rely on social perceptiveness and negotiation skills to handle customer service issues and staff disputes. Dependability, self-control, and attention to detail are crucial when managing budgets, tracking mail volumes, and maintaining postal regulations.

Entering this career typically requires a high school diploma. It is classified as an occupation that needs some preparation, meaning candidates usually secure these management roles after gaining relevant on-the-job training or working their way up through postal service experience.

While a college degree is not a strict requirement, individuals looking to advance into these administrative and management positions sometimes study public administration in college. Practical experience in related postal roles, such as working as a postal service clerk or a mail sorter and processor, provides the foundational knowledge of production, processing, and customer service needed to transition into supervisory positions.

The median annual wage for postmasters and mail superintendents is $96,660. The lowest 10% of earners in this field make less than $85,090, while the highest 10% earn more than $111,740.

There are currently 13,810 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a slight decline of -0.3%. Despite this flat growth, about 900 job openings are still projected to occur each year to replace workers who retire or transfer to other fields.