Since not many people have been reading my "Job of the Week" series, I wanted to make it interesting so it would be something everyone wanted to read. I'm going to start choosing more unusual jobs, or simply just ones that are common, but aren't given much thought. This week I have chosen a job that you probably see being done almost every day, except on Sundays of course. This week's job is a mail carrier, something that may often be taken for granted.
You probably have your mail delivered every day but you don't think about all the hard work that goes into getting it to you. Imagine all the mail you get. Now imagine that amount for everyone in your city. That's a lot of mail! When all the mail comes in to the post office, they must sort it in the order it will be delivered.
After the mail is sorted, they take it in their mail truck and begin their route. They not only deliver mail, but also pick up outgoing mail. They take their route in rain or shine, snow or sleet or even hail. Not to mention some very unwelcoming dogs. That picture you have in your head of a mail carrier running from a dog didn't come out of thin air, after all. 39% of households have dogs, that's a lot of dogs, and not all will be as friendly as your Sparky.
Do you ever think about how far a mail carrier actually walks? The average mail carrier walks 5.2 miles each delivery day. I don't know about you, but I don't know if I could walk that far; at least, not quickly enough to have the mail delivered in a timely fashion.
To become a mail carrier you don't have to go to college, just complete high school or get a GED, but 42% of mail carriers have had some college or higher. You need to be at least 18 years of age and be a U.S. citizen. There's a written exam and a physical exam you must pass, and also a drug screen. Mail carriers should also have a good driving record; after all, you wouldn't want a mail truck crashing into a mailbox, or worse!
Mail carriers aren't the only people helping to get you your Christmas cards and birthday presents on time. There are also people called mail clerks. They're the ones that deal with each and every piece of mail that comes into the post office. The clerks have to load and unload the mail, sort the thousands of letters going through, and stack it in bundles for delivery. They also deal with the customers and weigh the packages. Also, these clerks must enter the information on the computer and record everything.
Mail carriers usually earn from $40,000 to $48,000 a year depending on the state. The median in the United States is $44,000 per year. Mail clerks don't make quite as much as mail carriers, they make from about $19,000 to $29,000 per year. In the United States, the median is $23,000 a year. Sure, you might be thinking that's a lot, but in reality, it's not much considering all that they do.
So do mail carriers and mail clerks do more than you thought? Think about that next time you see a mail carrier walking.
This is Morgan612 off to get the mail.
