PSE Mail Processing Clerk USPS (2023 Full Guide)

Publish date: 2024-06-07

Are you planning to apply for a job at the United States Postal Service? This employer offers a wide range of interesting roles to choose from. Perhaps one of the most important and interesting is the role of a PSE Mail Processing Clerk.

This position mainly involves preparing the mail for delivery and making sure it is in deliverable condition. While this job is fairly simple, it requires a high level of attention to detail and can be repetitive.

Interested? Great, let’s find out more about being a PSE Mail Processing Clerk USPS…

Contents

About This Role

This role takes place in the postal station or facility of a post office. From time to time, you may also be required to work at a service window and interact with customers. You will also be charged with using mail sorting machinery and transferring it to different areas of the post office.

The salary

The average PSE Mail Processing Clerk salary is $19 per hour. Entry-level candidates typically start at $14 per hour, which can rise to $26 per hour over time. The annual salary is around $34,000 per year.

Benefits

During the first year of service, paid time off is the main benefit that you are eligible for. You will generally receive one hour of paid time off for every twenty hours that you work. After you have worked for a year, you are eligible for health insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

The Federal Employees Dental Vision Insurance Program provides seasoned employees with vision and dental insurance. You can also receive long-term care insurance as part of the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program.

Working hours

Employees who take on this role are typically scheduled to work forty hours a week. Shifts are usually eight hours, although the working hours can vary depending on demand. You are likely to be required to work late at night to prepare mail for the following day.

Employees may also be required to work additional hours during busy periods. However, you will be entitled to receive overtime for any additional hours that you work. The overtime compensation is usually time and a half.

PSE Mail Processing Clerk USPS – Job Responsibilities

Before applying, it is important to have a good understanding of this role. While most of the associated tasks are fairly simple, you need to make sure you can complete them well. Here are the main duties and responsibilities that are connected to this role.

Preparing mail

You will be assigned batches of mail to sort and arrange into bundles. Repair any mail that has become damaged so that it is ready to be delivered. You then have to sort the mail into routes to be delivered by carriers.

Operating machinery

You need to use machinery to process, sort, and cancel mail. You will also use a machine to weigh mail and fix the cost. Another machine is used to label bundles of mail with the route direction.

Assisting customers

When working at a service window, you will help customers with their mail needs. This includes weighing mail, attaching the correct postage, and making sure it is correctly addressed. You will also help customers with any questions they may have.

Loading mail

When mail trucks arrive, you will help to load the sorted mail onto the trucks. You will also help to unload any mail that could not be delivered for certain reasons.

The Requirements For Candidates

This role comes with set requirements that all applicants have to meet. Failing to meet the requirements means that your application is likely to be rejected immediately. Let’s take a closer look at the requirements that have been established for this role.

Nationality requirements

You must either be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien. You must also have lived in the United States for five years before application.

Age requirements

If you have a high school diploma, you can apply for this job when you are sixteen years old. Otherwise, you need to be at least eighteen years old to secure this role.

Physical requirements

You need to be reasonably physically fit and have good stamina to do this job. In addition to being able to stand for long periods, you must be able to lift at least seventy pounds.

Evaluation requirements

You need to pass a background check as well as a drug screening. You also have to pass the Postal Exam 476, which is an online examination.

Applying For The Role

If you meet the requirements, it’s time to apply for a job. You need to do this through the careers section of the United States Postal Service website. Here are the steps you need to take to apply for this role.

First, click on the PSE Mail Processing Clerk link under the Sorting & Handling tab on the careers page. Then click on the Apply Now button and enter the keywords PSE Mail Processing Clerk as well as your state. Once you have found the perfect job vacancy from the listed options, click on the Apply button.

Create a candidate profile…

You will then be directed to the eCareers system, where you need to create a candidate profile. After supplying your email address, you will be sent a confirmation email. Click on the link in the confirmation email to complete your candidate profile.

You will then be directed to take the 476 assessment online by clicking on the link that is emailed to you. Once you have completed the test, check your work carefully and click on the Submit button. You then need to wait for an email from the United States Postal Service containing further instructions.

The USPS PSE Mail Processing Clerk Exam

You need to pass an online exam to qualify for this role. This is a timed test that can be completed in the comfort of your own home. You need to get a score of at least seventy to pass the test. The test is divided into four different sections that we can explore in more detail.

Work Scenarios

There are between eight and ten questions in this section of the exam. These questions have been designed to assess how well you would handle different types of work situations. It is important to answer these questions honestly and in as much detail as possible.

Tell Your Story

This part of the test is designed to provide evaluators with information about your personality and employment history. This is likely to include information about your relationship with people you worked with in the past. The purpose of this is to make sure that you can work well as part of a team.

Describe Your Approach

This section of the exam is composed of between fifty-six and seventy-nine questions. The main aim is to discover how you are likely to perform in different circumstances. You need to be able to demonstrate that you can make quick decisions and perform well under pressure.

Check for Errors

The final part of the test is designed to assess your ability to recognize different types of patterns. A big part of this involves comparing eight numbers in different groups to confirm whether or not they look similar. This is designed to make sure you can identify different zip codes when sorting and bundling mail.

Tips for Passing the Test

The Postal Exam 476 is designed to discover your personality and your approach to work. It will also assess your problem-solving skills and how well you work under pressure. It typically takes 45 minutes to complete and must be passed within 72 hours of applying.

If you fail the exam, you will have to wait a whole year before you can take it again. However, you must wait a full two years if you pass, but your score is too low to make the grade. Therefore, it is important to do the best you can the first time around.

Here are some tips on how to maximize your chances of success:

Choose a quiet location to take the test in.
Make sure you have a stable internet connection.
Read each question carefully before answering.
Get plenty of sleep before taking the test.
Do research into the USPS.
Understand the duties and requirements.

More Info About Working For UPS And USPS

First things first! Passing your postal exam is crucial; therefore, I recommend using these excellent study guides such as the Postal Exam Book: for Test 473 and 473-C, the Postal Exam Secrets Study Guide: Review and Practice Tests for the USPS Virtual Entry Assessment 474, 475, 476, and 477, or perhaps, McGraw-Hill’s Postal Exams 473/473C, and finally, Post Office Jobs: The Ultimate 473 Postal Exam Study Guide, available online in 2023.

Next, let’s see what UPS is all about with our UPS Mission And Vision Statement Analysis, along with our UPS Application Online Jobs Career Info to get you started. Or perhaps, take a look at our in-depth USPS Mail Processing Clerk Job Description to see if it would suit you, and finally, our USPS Application to start the application process.

I also highly recommend that you read up on Does UPS Do Background Checks and Does USPS Hire Felons if you have a criminal record before applying.

PSE Mail Processing Clerk USPS – Final Thoughts

The United States Postal Service has an excellent reputation for being an honest employer. In addition to receiving a competitive salary, employees also receive a range of other benefits. The working environment is also known for being nurturing and productive.

Working as a PSE Mail Processing Clerk is a good place to start at the company. There are also plenty of promotion opportunities for people who are willing to work hard. The company values proactive employees who have ambition and are willing to go the extra mile for customers.

Good luck in your new career as a USPS PSE Mail Processing Clerk!

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