SOC 43-9051 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service Salary in Hickory, NC

The average salary for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Hickory, North Carolina is $36,420 a year ($17.51 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,260: half of the 30 people in this job in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($41,650).

$36,420average per year

$17.51 / hourMedian $35,260Take-home ≈ $30,499

  • $28K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $57K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
-13%vs U.S. average
#8 of 9North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay range in Hickory

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,560 a year or less, while the top 10% make $56,570 or more. The middle half of mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Hickory earn between $29,140 and $44,080.

  • $28K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $57K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,420$3,035$17.51
Median$35,260$2,938$16.95
Entry level (25th percentile)$29,140$2,428$14.01
Experienced (75th percentile)$44,080$3,673$21.19

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay in Hickory vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Hickory earn 4% less than the North Carolina average ($37,990) and 13% less than the U.S. average ($41,650). At the median the gap is -10% against the U.S. median of $39,280.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Hickory$36,420$35,260$27,560$56,57030
North Carolina$37,990$37,830$28,420$47,5701,280
United States$41,650$39,280$30,780$54,82055,230

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary after taxes in Hickory

On the average salary of $36,420, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $30,499 a year, or $2,542 a month and $1,173 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Hickory a good place for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $36,420 buys what about $41,159 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 7.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,420 is worth in another city

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in other North Carolina cities

Hickory ranks 8th of 9 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Durham pays the most ($41,400).

All Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,100).

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service in Hickory, NC.

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in Hickory: questions

How much do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) make an hour in Hickory?

$17.51 an hour on average, and $16.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) salary in Hickory?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,560 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,140, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) take-home pay in Hickory?

About $30,499 a year ($2,542 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,420.

Do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($41,650).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-9051; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.58, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.58).

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