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Occupation AtlasPostmasters and Mail Superintendents

O*NET · 11-9131.00

Postmasters and Mail Superintendents

Plan, direct, or coordinate operational, administrative, management, and support services of a U.S. post office; or coordinate activities of workers engaged in postal and related work in assigned post office.

Also called Delivery Supervisor · Distribution Operation Supervisor (SDO) · Distribution Operations Manager · Distribution Operations Supervisor · Mail Delivery Supervisor · Mail Superintendent · Order to Delivery Supervisor · PMR
9 more

Postal Service Sectional Center Manager · Postal Superintendent · Postal Supervisor · Postmaster · Postmaster Relief (PMR) · Remote Encoding Center Manager · Remote Encoding Operations Supervisor · SDO · Service Delivery Supervisor

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code ECS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with General and Operations Managers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

ECSEnterprising · Conventional · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • E Enterprising6.00
  • C Conventional5.69
  • S Social3.35
  • R Realistic2.14
  • I Investigative1.30
  • A Artistic1.17

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent62%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate7%
  • Some College Courses11%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree7%
  • Bachelor's Degree13%
Related work experience
None (27%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (27%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (27%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Time Management4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Coordination4.03.5Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Social Perceptiveness4.03.5Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Active Listeningbasic4.03.4Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Direct the activities of a road repair crew with minimal disruption of traffic flow
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Monitoringbasic3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Negotiation3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Contract with a wholesaler to sell items at a given cost
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Service Orientation3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
Show the other 23
  • Writingbasic3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Persuasion3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Instructing3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Active Learningbasic3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Complex Problem Solving3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Systems Analysis3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Management of Financial Resources2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Management of Material Resources2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Mathematicsbasic2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Operations Monitoring2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Operations Analysis2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Quality Control Analysis2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Troubleshooting2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Technology Design1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Programming1.80.9
  • Operation and Control1.61.3Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Sciencebasic1.50.5
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Equipment Selection1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

8 core · 5 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Organize and supervise activities, such as the processing of incoming and outgoing mail.4.7
  2. Monitor employees' work schedules and attendance for payroll purposes.4.7
  3. Resolve customer complaints.4.6
  4. Direct and coordinate operational, management, and supportive services of one or a number of postal facilities.4.5
  5. Prepare employee work schedules.4.5
  6. Hire and train employees, and evaluate their performance.4.4
  7. Prepare and submit detailed and summary reports of post office activities to designated supervisors.4.3
  8. Negotiate labor disputes.3.8
Show the other 5
  1. Select and train postmasters and managers of associate postal units.4.1
  2. Inform the public of available services, and of postal laws and regulations.4.0
  3. Collect rents for post office boxes.3.4
  4. Issue and cash money orders.3.4
  5. Confer with suppliers to obtain bids for proposed purchases and to requisition supplies, disbursing funds according to federal regulations.3.4

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Administration and Management4.44.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Public Safety and Security4.24.3Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • English Language4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Customer and Personal Service4.04.8Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Production and Processing4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Education and Training3.74.7Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Administrative3.64.5Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Computers and Electronics3.64.5Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
Show all 33
  • Mathematics3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Transportation3.53.7Level 4 looks like: Drive a semi-truck through a busy city
  • Law and Government3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Psychology3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Economics and Accounting3.02.8
  • Communications and Media2.82.9
  • Sales and Marketing2.73.0Level 4 looks like: Introduce clients to a new line of products
  • Mechanical2.62.8
  • Engineering and Technology2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Telecommunications2.31.8Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Geography2.22.4Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Therapy and Counseling2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Design1.81.7Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Building and Construction1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Philosophy and Theology1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • History and Archeology1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Chemistry1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Foreign Language1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Physics1.40.8Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Biology1.3—
  • Fine Arts1.1—
  • Food Production1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Written Comprehension4.03.8Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Deductive Reasoning3.93.3Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Speech Clarity3.93.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.93.3Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Inductive Reasoning3.83.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Problem Sensitivity3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
Show all 52
  • Information Ordering3.63.1Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Near Vision3.63.1Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Category Flexibility3.53.0Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Written Expression3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Flexibility of Closure3.02.5Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Fluency of Ideas3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Originality3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Selective Attention3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.92.9
  • Perceptual Speed2.92.5Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.92.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Auditory Attention2.82.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Far Vision2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Number Facility2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Speed of Closure2.82.1Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Memorization2.52.1Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Visualization2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Finger Dexterity2.31.6Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Stamina2.11.5Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Trunk Strength2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Depth Perception2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Multilimb Coordination1.60.9
  • Rate Control1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Reaction Time1.60.9
  • Static Strength1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Control Precision1.50.5
  • Explosive Strength1.50.8
  • Extent Flexibility1.50.5
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.50.6
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.50.9
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness1.40.4
  • Dynamic Strength1.40.4
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.40.6
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Manual Dexterity1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Response Orientation1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Spatial Orientation1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.55.3Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Getting Information4.54.4Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.44.6Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others4.45.4Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Working with Computers4.33.7Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.25.0Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Scheduling Work and Activities4.24.6Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.15.2Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
Show all 41
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates4.15.4Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Performing Administrative Activities4.14.6Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Coaching and Developing Others4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.94.2Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Developing and Building Teams3.84.2Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Processing Information3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Staffing Organizational Units3.84.4Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.73.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Training and Teaching Others3.63.7Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.54.0Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.44.3Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Thinking Creatively3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.23.0Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.22.9
  • Selling or Influencing Others3.23.4Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.02.8
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.62.5Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Performing General Physical Activities2.62.7
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.43.0Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others5.0
  • E-Mail4.9
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9
  • Time Pressure4.9
  • Telephone Conversations4.8
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.7
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7
  • Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers4.7
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities4.6

Technology

19 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (3)

  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot
  • Microsoft Outlookhot

Hot (4; 3 more marked hot above)

  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
Other tools (12)
  • Collection Point Management System CPMS
  • eBuy
  • Email software
  • Facility database software
  • Payroll software
  • Personnel management software
  • Personnel scheduling software
  • Postal boundary mapping software
  • Postal tracking software
  • Vehicle management software
  • Web Box Activity Tracing System WebBATS
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Postal Service Clerks
  2. Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
  3. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
  4. Administrative Services Managers
  5. General and Operations Managers
  6. Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
  7. First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand
  8. First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators
  9. First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
  10. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.