Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $59,490 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,588 take-home, or $3,966 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,959
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,688
- Medicare (1.45%)$863
- California income tax$1,619
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$773
- Take-home pay$47,588
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $47,440 | $22.81 | $38,785 | $3,232 |
| 25th percentile | $50,770 | $24.41 | $41,218 | $3,435 |
| Median (50th) | $59,490 | $28.60 | $47,588 | $3,966 |
| 75th percentile | $75,030 | $36.07 | $57,848 | $4,821 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $75,670 | $36.38 | $58,239 | $4,853 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,490 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators's $47,588 take-home pay has the buying power of $41,903 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators jobs are about as common in Los Angeles, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.11).
Best-paying cities for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #6 of 7 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas, TX | $56,390 | $47,489 | $46,066 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $57,430 | $46,562 | $45,402 |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | $58,300 | $46,283 | $44,677 |
| 4 | Miami, FL | $57,430 | $48,325 | $42,333 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $59,490 | $47,365 | $42,078 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | $59,490 | $47,588 | $41,903 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $50,770 | $40,962 | $40,938 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 7 metros →
About the job: postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Examine, sort, and route mail. Load, operate, and occasionally adjust and repair mail processing, sorting, and canceling machinery. Keep records of shipments, pouches, and sacks, and perform other duties related to mail handling within the postal service.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -5.3% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $59,490 a year, or about $28.60 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $50,770 and $75,030.
What is a postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $59,490 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $47,588 a year ($3,966 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,392 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $58,470. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $41,903 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #6 of 7 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 57% of a median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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