OSCA 599332

Postal Sorting Officer

Overview

  • Employed persons

    7,400

  • Employment status

    63.1% Full time

    37.0% Part time

  • Median age

    50 years

  • Employment by sex

    51.0% Female

    48.9% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.8%

  • Main employing industry

    Transport, Postal and Warehousing

Indicator Postal Sorting Officer Total employment
Employed persons 7,400 12,049,400
Median age 50 years 40 years
Full-time share 63.1% 64.2%
Part-time share 37.0% 35.8%
Female employment share 51.0% 48.5%
Male employment share 48.9% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.8% 2.2%
Main employing industry Transport, Postal and Warehousing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Postal Sorting Officers receive, sort and dispatch mail in a post office or postal sorting centre.

What the occupation involves

  • Receives and sorts incoming mail
  • Operates sorting machines to categorise mail
  • Prepares mail for delivery
  • Identifies mail requiring special handling or additional services
  • Maintains records of mail received, sorted and dispatched
  • Assists customers with enquires about postal services
  • Investigates complaints regarding lost items

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

  • Parcel Post Officer

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 5
equivalent to secondary education, or a Certificate I).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Clerical and Administrative Workers (5)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Postal Sorting Officer Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 96.8% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.5% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Retail Trade 0.5% Construction 8.9%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.2% Education and Training 8.8%
    Information Media and Telecommunications 0.2% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Manufacturing 0.2% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Public Administration and Safety 0.2% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Wholesale Trade 0.1% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Accommodation and Food Services <0.1% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Education and Training <0.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      32.5%

    • Victoria

      28.9%

    • Queensland

      17.5%

    • South Australia

      6.6%

    • Tasmania

      1.7%

    • Northern Territory

      0.7%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.4%

    Postal Sorting Officer Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 2,400 32.5% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 2,100 28.9% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 1,300 17.5% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 490 6.6% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 800 10.8% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 130 1.7% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 50 0.7% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 100 1.4% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Postal Sorting Officer

    Total employment

    Age group Postal Sorting Officer Total employment
    15–24 years 10.6% 14.3%
    25–34 years 12.8% 22.7%
    35–44 years 14.8% 22.3%
    45–54 years 24.5% 20.4%
    55–64 years 29.3% 15.3%
    65–74 years 7.4% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.5% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Postal Sorting Officer Total employment
    Female 51.0% 48.5%
    Male 48.9% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

      Download

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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