Mail and Parcel Sorter

Kaimāhiti Reta/Pūhera

Mail and parcel sorters work in processing centres. They sort mail and parcels by address, either manually or by machine.

Learn about this job

Secondary education
Useful experience
What you will do
Skills and knowledge
Entry requirements
Chances of getting a job
Find out more about training
Career progression and specialisations
Working conditions
Physical requirements
Useful personal qualities
Industry
Similar jobs in the industry

Secondary education

No specific secondary education is required for this job, but maths and English to at least NCEA Level 1 are useful.

Study levels

Up to NCEA Level 3

Useful experience

Useful experience for mail and parcel sorters includes:

casual mail work during peak times
postie or delivery agent work
factory work.

What you will do

Mail and parcel sorters may do some or all of the following:

check mail and parcels have been clearly addressed and that correct postage has been paid
stamp the date onto mail
hand-sort mailbags into cages and compartments
feed mail and parcels into automated sorting machines
send sorted mail and parcels to deliverers
redirect mail and parcels that have an incorrect address
maintain and update databases of customer information
answer customer enquiries
act as a team leader, supervising other mail and parcel sorters and helping to train new people.

Skills and knowledge

Mail and parcel sorters need to have knowledge of New Zealand locations.

Pay

Mail and parcel sorters usually earn

$23

per hour

Job opportunities

Average

Chances of getting a job as a mail and parcel sorter are average due to increasing demand for workers, but high competition for positions.

Length of training

year of training usually required.

Industry

Transport and Logistics

Mail and parcel sorters work in processing centres. They sort mail and parcels by address, either manually or by machine.

Similar jobs in this industry

Courier/Delivery Agent

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements to become a mail and parcel sorter as skills are learned on the job.

However, to become a mail and parcel sorter for New Zealand Post you need to pass competency tests (on critical reading, memory and hand-eye co-ordination) and a pre-employment drug test.

New employees undergo six weeks of introductory training. New Zealand Post mail and parcel sorters usually have to pass regular competency tests to assess their speed and accuracy.

As mail and parcel sorters can also handle freight, a forklift licence may be useful.

New Zealand Transport Agency website - information about getting a forklift licence

Chances of getting a job

High demand and competition for roles

There is currently high demand for mail and parcel sorters at New Zealand Post due to the increasing number of parcels being sent. However, due to the low entry requirements for the role, competition for these positions is high.

According to the Census, 1,971 mail and parcel sorters worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Opportunities depend on location and time of year

Mail and parcel sorters are mostly employed in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch. Chances of securing a job are best in Auckland.

Opportunities for mail and parcel sorters increase during busy holiday periods, such as Christmas, when mail and parcel volumes grow significantly. These mail and parcel sorting jobs tend to be casual, on call or part time only.

Most mail and parcel sorters work for New Zealand Post

New Zealand Post is the main employer of mail and parcel sorters in New Zealand.

Mail and parcel sorters may also be employed by one of New Zealand's smaller postal or courier companies.

Find out more about training

New Zealand Post: (04) 496 4999 - www.nzpost.co.nz

Progression and specialisations

Mail and parcel sorters may progress into training and supervisory roles.

Working conditions

Mail and parcel sorters:

may work full time, part time, or casually
work varying shifts, depending on the needs of the business
work both day and night shifts, including weekends
work at New Zealand Post processing centres and for large businesses.

Physical Requirements

Mail sorters need to be fit and healthy because they spend long periods on their feet and may have to move heavy sacks of parcels and mail (up to 25kg). They also need to have good hand-eye co-ordination.

Useful personal qualities

Mail and parcel sorters need to be:

honest, punctual and reliable
organised and efficient, with an eye for detail
able to work well in a team and independently
able to read quickly and accurately
able to learn how to use industrial machinery
skilled at decision making, organising and communicating
able to memorise streets, addresses and mailboxes.

Industry

Transport and Logistics

Mail and parcel sorters work in processing centres. They sort mail and parcels by address, either manually or by machine.

Similar jobs in this industry

Courier/Delivery Agent

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