Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Salary in New York, NY
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $59,490 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,365 take-home, or $3,947 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,959
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,688
- Medicare (1.45%)$863
- New York income tax$2,615
- Take-home pay$47,365
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state
Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $1,871 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $45,494 ($3,791 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
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 New York, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $47,170 | $22.68 | $38,131 | $3,178 |
| 25th percentile | $50,770 | $24.41 | $40,829 | $3,402 |
| Median (50th) | $59,490 | $28.60 | $47,365 | $3,947 |
| 75th percentile | $75,030 | $36.07 | $58,159 | $4,847 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $76,360 | $36.71 | $59,023 | $4,919 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,490 buys in New York, NY
Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators's $47,365 take-home pay has the buying power of $42,078 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
New York, NY has 1.4× the national concentration of postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, adjusted for cost of living
New York, NY ranks #5 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 New York, NY?
The median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 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 New York, NY?
On the median $59,490 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $47,365 a year ($3,947 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,615 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is New York, NY 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 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $42,078 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #5 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 New York, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 60% 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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