USPS Pay Scale 2026
USPS Pay Scale 2026: pay for USPS employees is set by union contracts, not one national table. Pick your craft for the official table, the contract's raise and COLA dates, and a calculator for hourly, biweekly and annual pay.
Every table here is copied from the union's own published schedule and checked cell by cell (checked October 24, 2026). Each craft page has the official PDF links.
FedRateCalc is not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service or any union. Figures are copied from the unions' published pay schedules and agreements; your PS Form 50, your local union and your HR office are authoritative.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Pay tables checked October 24, 2026 · Methodology & sources
USPS pay scales by craft
USPS Clerk Pay Scale 2026 (APWU)
APWU: clerks, maintenance, motor vehicle service and support craft. PS-4 to PS-11 by step.
Table effective September 19, 2026
USPS City Carrier Pay Scale 2026 (NALC)
NALC: city letter carriers and carrier technicians. Table 1, Table 2 and CCA rates.
Table effective March 7, 2026
USPS Mail Handler Pay Scale 2026 (NPMHU)
NPMHU: mail handlers. Tables 1 and 2 for grades 4 and 5, FTF and MHA rates.
Table effective September 6, 2025
Which table is in force, and what changes next
Each bargaining unit raises pay on its own schedule, so the latest tables have different dates. APWU's contract is still running; the NALC and NPMHU agreements have expired, and their last charts stay in force until a successor agreement takes effect.
| Craft | Agreement | Table effective | Contract term | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APWU | 2024-2027 APWU-USPS National Agreement | September 19, 2026 | September 21, 2024 to September 20, 2027 | GWI 1.5% on November 14, 2026 |
| NALC | 2023-2026 NALC-USPS National Agreement | March 7, 2026 | May 21, 2023 to May 22, 2026 (expired; in force until a successor) | None scheduled; successor agreement pending |
| NPMHU | 2022-2025 NPMHU-USPS National Agreement | September 6, 2025 | September 21, 2022 to September 20, 2025 (ended; impasse declared June 5, 2026) | None scheduled; in interest arbitration since August 2026, no award yet |
How USPS COLAs are calculated
The APWU, NALC and NPMHU agreements use the same rule: the pay schedule rises one cent an hour for each full 0.4 of a point the CPI-W (1967=100) is above a base month, measured in January and July and paid from the second full pay period after the index is released. One cent an hour is $20.80 a year at 2,080 hours. Before relying on the rule, this site recomputed every COLA actually paid under the three agreements from Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and all of them match to the dollar.
Pay scales not published here
- Rural carriers (NRLCA). NRLCA posts its current rural carrier pay schedules on a members-only page, and no public official copy of the current schedule could be found to transcribe. NRLCA rural carrier pay schedules (members only).
- EAS management (NAPS). USPS sets EAS salary ranges through pay consultation, and the January 10, 2026 ranges (grades 17-21 up 3%, all other grades up 1%) were not available as a public table, so the 2026 minimums and maximums are not published here. NAPS notice of the EAS pay decision (Oct. 29, 2025).
USPS pay scale questions
What is the USPS pay scale in 2026?
There is no single USPS pay scale: each bargaining unit has its own tables set by its national agreement. This site publishes the current official tables for clerks, maintenance and motor vehicle employees (APWU, effective September 19, 2026), city letter carriers (NALC, effective March 7, 2026) and mail handlers (NPMHU, effective September 6, 2025), each with a pay calculator.
Where is the USPS pay scale 2026 PDF?
The unions publish the official PDFs: APWU posts its annual and hourly rate PDFs on its Pay Information pages, NALC posts the pay chart PDF on its pay table page, and NPMHU posts its wage chart on its Wage Chart page. This site does not copy them; each craft page lists the links it used.
Which USPS pay scale applies to me?
It depends on the craft you work in, which sets the union and the agreement, and on your appointment date, which sets the table. Clerks, maintenance, motor vehicle service and support craft employees are APWU; city letter carriers are NALC; mail handlers are NPMHU. Your PS Form 50 shows your pay grade and step.
Why do the tables have different effective dates?
Each agreement raises pay on its own dates. APWU's contract runs to September 2027 and its table already includes the September 2026 COLA and the new top steps. NALC's 2023-2026 agreement expired May 22, 2026 and NPMHU's 2022-2025 agreement ended September 20, 2025; NPMHU has been in interest arbitration since August 2026 and NALC's successor agreement is still pending, so their last charts remain in force.
How do USPS COLAs work?
The APWU, NALC and NPMHU agreements all add one cent an hour for each full 0.4 of a point the CPI-W (1967=100) rises above a base month, checked in January and July. For a full-time employee one cent an hour is $20.80 a year. This site checked the formula against every COLA actually paid under the three agreements before relying on it.
Are the rural carrier and EAS pay scales here?
Not yet. NRLCA posts its current rural carrier pay schedules on a members-only page, and no public official copy of the current schedule could be found to transcribe. USPS sets EAS salary ranges through pay consultation, and the January 10, 2026 ranges (grades 17-21 up 3%, all other grades up 1%) were not available as a public table, so the 2026 minimums and maximums are not published here.
Authoritative sources: APWU pay information · NALC pay tables and COLAs · NPMHU wage chart · BLS CPI-W data