Postal Worker Encourages People To Start Applying For The Post Office After Revealing How Much He Makes
He insisted that becoming a postal worker could help people who may be experiencing financial instability.
Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock A postal worker is calling for people to start applying to work at the post office, citing that his paycheck speaks for itself when it comes to the financial stability the job provides, especially during a time when most Americans have been open about the fact that they aren't making enough money at their jobs to cover their basic necessities.
In a TikTok video, a postal worker named Lukas said that a commenter asked him to "prove" how much money he earns at his job after talking about it in a previous video, and so he did just that. Pulling up his check, Lukas went into detail about how he's able to properly budget and live comfortably thanks to his employment with the U.S Postal Service.
A postal worker encouraged people to apply for jobs at the post office after sharing how much he makes.
"On my previous video, somebody said prove it on one of my checks. So here's my last checks," Lukas began in his video. Showing a screenshot of his paystub, Lukas showed that he was being paid $11.47 an hour for overtime, which was in addition to his normal pay, meaning he was earning $4,423.09 for up to two weeks of work.
He explained that while he might be working "too much," when he multiplied his earnings by 28 weeks, it totaled over $100,000. He pointed out that postal offices are always looking for more workers and encouraged people to start applying.
The future of postal worker employment is unclear after the agency announced plans to work with DOGE to cut costs.
Although Lukas was adamant that the post office is always hiring, the need for more workers isn't clear. Earlier this year, the agency announced its plans to eliminate 10,000 jobs using a voluntary early retirement program to reduce costs at the financially strapped USPS, according to CBS News.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told Congress that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, is now working with the USPS. "Last night I signed an agreement with the General Services Administration and DOGE representatives to assist us in identifying and achieving further efficiencies," he wrote. The move is reportedly "seen as a way of making DOGE happy," a person familiar with the plans told CBS News.
A spokesperson for the USPS told Federal News Network, “The United States Postal Service is continuing to transform its business model and build an organization structured for success. As a result of our capital investments in state-of-the-art mail processing equipment and changes to our network, the Postal Service needs to reduce staffing in those facilities that are overstaffed as we continue to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient service to all communities.”
While the average salary for a postal worker in this country depends on which state they're working in, their salary usually falls somewhere between $39,006 and $46,089 per year, with hourly rates at $13 to $25, but those jobs may now be few and far between.
The postal worker explained that he's only been working at the post office for 10 years.
"The post office pays well and we're hiring," Lukas insisted. "We need help desperately. Yes, it's a lot of hours, but if we were to get more people in, it would be fewer hours. Hopefully, the more workers we have, the less work it is to go around." He claimed that if more people started applying to work at the post office, it would mean an improved work/life balance for all. The money's out there and available, something Lukas stressed to people who might be looking for a change of employment.
And a change of employment or, at the very least, a change in earnings is a top priority for many people nowadays who are feeling the weight of a struggling economy.
An analysis from the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) found that for 60% of U.S. households, a "minimal quality of life" is out of reach. The Ludwig Institute also said that the nation's official unemployment rate of 4.2% greatly downplays the level of economic distress around the country. When you factor in workers who are stuck in poverty-wage jobs and people who are unable to find full-time employment, the U.S. jobless rate now tops 24%.
Working at the post office could be a viable solution for many Americans facing a financial crisis. A role with the postal service means that people would actually have a little bit of cushion to afford basic necessities and stability, if those jobs truly do exist. As Lukas emphasized, the job may be demanding and hard work, but in the end, it provides him with enough income that he doesn't need to worry about how he's going to make ends meet.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
