Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Postal Service Mail Carrier Salary in Seattle, WA

Postal Service Mail Carriers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median $62,960 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $52,768 take-home, or $4,397 a month.

Median salary
$62,960
$30.27 per hour
Typical range
$48,940 – $81,040
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Seattle, WA
3,420
0.78× national concentration
▲4.2%
Pay trend: The median for postal service mail carriers in Seattle, WA rose from $60,440 (May 2024) to $62,960 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 1.8%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median postal service mail carrier salary in Seattle, WA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Postal Service Mail Carrier in Seattle, WA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$52,768
per year · effective tax rate 16.2%
$4,397Monthly
$2,199Twice a month
$2,030Every 2 weeks
$25.37Hourly
  • Federal income tax$5,375
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,904
  • Medicare (1.45%)$913
  • Washington income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$52,768

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Postal Service Mail Carrier pay by experience in Seattle, WA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$48,940$23.53$41,503$3,459
25th percentile$52,520$25.25$44,380$3,698
Median (50th)$62,960$30.27$52,768$4,397
75th percentile$81,040$38.96$65,842$5,487
90th percentile (top earners)$81,040$38.96$65,842$5,487

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Washington resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $62,960 buys in Seattle, WA

Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median postal service mail carrier's $52,768 take-home pay has the buying power of $47,482 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,022
46% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,379
54% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$2,375
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Postal Service Mail Carrier jobs are less concentrated in Seattle, WA than nationally (location quotient 0.78), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for postal service mail carriers, adjusted for cost of living

Seattle, WA ranks #13 of 25 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Kansas City, MO $61,010$49,271$53,242
2Cleveland, OH $60,260$49,724$52,941
3Houston, TX $62,070$52,053$52,777
4St. Louis, MO $62,070$50,073$52,660
5Tampa, FL $62,070$52,053$51,594
6Pittsburgh, PA $59,880$48,455$51,183
7Phoenix, AZ $64,250$52,407$50,725
8Charlotte, NC $61,010$49,276$50,618
13Seattle, WA$62,960$52,768$47,482

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 25 metros →

About the job: postal service mail carriers

Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.3% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a postal service mail carrier make in Seattle, WA?

The median postal service mail carrier salary in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $62,960 a year, or about $30.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $52,520 and $81,040.

What is a postal service mail carrier’s take-home pay in Seattle, WA?

On the median $62,960 salary, a single filer living in Washington takes home about $52,768 a year ($4,397 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Seattle, WA a good place to work as a postal service mail carrier?

Pay here is 4% above the national median of $60,550. Local prices are 11.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $47,482 would in a typical U.S. city. Seattle, WA ranks #13 of 25 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a postal service mail carrier afford rent in Seattle, WA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Seattle, WA is $2,022 a month ($2,379 for two bedrooms) — 46% of a median postal service mail carrier’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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