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by Rick Owens
www.postalemployeenetwork.com
A few weeks ago I wrote an article entitled Postal or Federal Employee Pay. It seems that every newspaper and media writer in the world keeps stating that postal employees earn about $83,000 per year. While this may be almost true when you factor in USPS costs for holidays, annual leave, sick leave, etc for each employee – it also leads the public to think that we earn $83,000 per year and get benefits on top of that.
If you desire to compare our salaries with the private sector then you should do so by comparing salaries with United Parcel Service and FedEx – our two main peer industry counterparts. Here’s what I found:
What is the average wage of UPS truck drivers?
Answers.com says “Averages are so misleading. The average UPS driver’s pay at this time 12/07/2007 is about $72,000 cash, and benefits of about $30,000. But drivers with enough seniority can get more overtime by “bumping” junior employees, and with 15 hours of OT can earn over $90,000. And with 20 hours OT can earn over $100,000 cash, not including benefits.
So senior drivers can earn OVER $130,000 in cash and benefits. There are ways to earn a few thousand more by working vacations and overlapping vacations with paid holidays.”
Additionally, we found UPS hourly rates posted at Payscale.com. FedEx Hourly Rates here.
Another source listed UPS and FedEx pay here:
FedEx Salaries – Glassdoor.com
http://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/FedEx-Salaries-E246.htm
UPS – Glassdoor.com
http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/united-parcel-service-salary-SRCH_KE0,21.htm
For some reason most media outlets believe that postal employee salaries should be compared only to federal government employees – you know, as I do, that this is NOT the case. Salaries or pay for ANY company should be compared to their industry peers – in our case that is UPS and FedEx. USPS should remember this during their negotiations with our unions and during their current attempt to curtail 6 day delivery, change USPS (changes you can believe in???), close facilities, etc.
Thanks, this is great info.
The public cannot believe that Postal jobs are strenuous…….they only see us walking down the street or driving our LLV’s and sticking our arm out the side. We all know the fatigue and energy our jobs entail, and I am sure the UPS driver who can work up to 14 hour days suffers the same. The media is doing a disservice again to its readers. The press in American today is a propaganda tool for those who control the media………that is something the public needs to understand.
Ah, but what they haven’t told you is . . .
drum roll, please . . .
THE COST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE USPS vs. UPS vs. FEDEX. Now, that is where FedEx and UPS DESTROY the USPS. And THAT is why the USPS is going down!!!