Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators Salary in Washington, DC
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median $59,490 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,560 take-home, or $3,963 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in Washington, DC. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,959
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,688
- Medicare (1.45%)$863
- District of Columbia income tax$2,420
- Take-home pay$47,560
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.50% state
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro spans District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators pay by experience in Washington, DC
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $45,530 | $21.89 | $37,198 | $3,100 |
| 25th percentile | $50,770 | $24.41 | $41,093 | $3,424 |
| Median (50th) | $59,490 | $28.60 | $47,560 | $3,963 |
| 75th percentile | $75,030 | $36.07 | $58,183 | $4,849 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $76,360 | $36.71 | $59,027 | $4,919 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, District of Columbia resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,490 buys in Washington, DC
Prices in Washington, DC are 8.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators's $47,560 take-home pay has the buying power of $43,679 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 Washington, DC as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.06).
Best-paying cities for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, adjusted for cost of living
Washington, DC ranks #49 of 59 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines, IA | $60,530 | $49,168 | $53,617 |
| 2 | Knoxville, TN | $58,470 | $49,161 | $53,107 |
| 3 | Omaha, NE | $59,490 | $48,153 | $52,391 |
| 4 | Oklahoma City, OK | $58,470 | $47,075 | $52,070 |
| 5 | San Antonio, TX | $58,470 | $49,161 | $51,903 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $58,470 | $48,335 | $51,462 |
| 7 | Greensboro, NC | $58,470 | $47,336 | $50,973 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | $58,470 | $48,335 | $50,629 |
| 49 | Washington, DC | $59,490 | $47,560 | $43,679 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 59 metros →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators make in Washington, DC?
The median postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators salary in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 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 Washington, DC?
On the median $59,490 salary, a single filer living in District of Columbia takes home about $47,560 a year ($3,963 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,420 in District of Columbia taxes in 2026.
Is Washington, DC 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 8.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $43,679 would in a typical U.S. city. Washington, DC ranks #49 of 59 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 Washington, DC?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Washington, DC is $1,990 a month ($2,223 for two bedrooms) — 50% 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%.
Related jobs in Washington, DC
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant — $90,320
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant — $77,220
- First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers — $76,400
- Brokerage Clerk — $66,860
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs — $66,130
- Postal Service Clerk — $64,630
- Postal Service Mail Carrier — $64,250
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk — $63,440
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other — $61,760
- Public Safety Telecommunicator — $61,260
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks — $60,990
- Procurement Clerk — $60,650