Post Office Manager
Post office managers run a postal outlet's day to day operations, keeping counter services open, mail and parcels moving and staff supported.
- Median salary*
- $75,400
4.3%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 3,100
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- −3%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 42/wk
+2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- Not in shortage
national
Post office managers run an Australia Post outlet or a licensed post office, covering counter service, mail and parcel processing and the retail lines sold alongside them. The job mixes retail with logistics: a rostered team on the counter, parcel volumes that shift through the week, and takings, stock and reporting at the end of it. The title covers two arrangements, managers employed in Australia Post's corporate network and managers running a licensed outlet, which is often the licensee's own small business.
How much do post office managers earn?
The median full-time salary for a post office manager is $75,400 per annum, before tax, up $15,900 since 2018.
Pay depends most on who runs the outlet: managers in Australia Post's corporate network are paid under the Australia Post enterprise agreement, while those running a licensed post office often draw income tied to the commission the outlet earns. The size of the branch and the number of staff supervised also shift the figure, and some rural and regional postings carry allowances. Where the manager is also the licensee, earnings follow the business rather than a set salary.
What does a post office manager do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Rostering and supervising counter, mailroom and parcel staff across the week
- Serving customers at the counter and working through complex postal and identity transactions
- Reconciling daily takings, banking and ordering stock, postage and packaging supplies
- Managing parcel volumes through the Christmas peak, when casual staff are brought on
- Keeping the outlet compliant with Australia Post procedures, workplace safety and mail security
What skills do post office managers need?
Employers look for operations management, rostering and venue operations, inventory management, backed by Australia Post ePOS fluency and strong people leadership.
Specialist skills
- Operations management
- Rostering and venue operations
- Inventory management
- Regulatory compliance
Software and tools
- Australia Post ePOS
- MyPost Business portal
- Microsoft Excel
- Xero
- Deputy rostering software
General skills
- People leadership
- Customer service
- Attention to detail
- Written communication
Is the job growing?
About 3,100 people work as post office managers in Australia, and employment is projected to decline 3% over the decade to 2035. That's a real decline, worth weighing carefully before training into the role.
How do you become a post office manager?
Here's the path most post office managers take, step by step.
- 1Start in a customer-facing postal or retail role
Counter positions, postal delivery and mail sorting all teach the products and the systems, and most managers are promoted from within an outlet or move across from a nearby retail job. Australia Post runs its own induction and product training for counter staff.
- 2Learn the systems and the rules
Australia Post ePOS, the MyPost Business portal, parcel scanning and the identity requirements for passports and other transactions take time to learn, and they are the daily tools of the manager's job.
- 3Take a supervisory or second-in-charge role
Relief management at a smaller branch, or a second-in-charge post in a larger one, gives you the rostering, banking and complaint handling experience that a manager's job assumes.
- 4Add formal study if you want to move up or across
A certificate IV or diploma in retail management, business or leadership is common, and 38% of the people currently working as post office managers hold a Bachelor degree. Study helps more for larger branches and other venue management roles than for entry.
- 5Consider the licensee route
Some managers apply to become a licensed post office licensee, which means taking on the business rather than a salary. It needs capital and Australia Post's approval, and the licensee can then employ a manager for the day to day running.
Ready to apply as a post office manager?
Whether you're working toward becoming a post office manager or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a post office manager move to?
Moving into Club Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $16,400 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club Manager Post office managers bring venue and cash handling experience to club management, with a short course in licensed club operations. | +$16,400 | 50% | short course |
| Stock Controller Post office managers bring inventory and parcel handling experience to stock control, with a short course in warehouse systems. | +$5,400 | 55% | short course |
| Betting Agency Manager A post office manager brings retail and cash handling experience to running a betting agency, with a short course covering gambling regulations. | +$0 | 71% | short course |
| Hotel Service Manager Post office managers bring customer service and staff supervision skills to hotel service management, needing a short course in hospitality operations. | −$2,100 | 60% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a post office manager?
The typical post office manager is 53 years old; 52% are women, 82% work full-time, and full-timers average 42 hours a week.
- 53
- Median age
- 52%
- Female share
- 82%
- Full-time
- +2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a post office manager?
The job runs to the outlet's timetable: early starts to get the mail sorted and the counter open, a steady stream of parcels and transactions through the day, and banking and rostering once the doors close. Pressure comes in bursts, from a failed delivery run or an absent staff member, and again through the weeks before Christmas. It suits someone who likes being visible in a small team and in the community, and who is happy to move between the counter and the paperwork.
What people like
- Your outlet is a local fixture. In a country town or a suburban strip, the post office is where people come for parcels, passports and a chat, so the manager is a familiar face.
- No two hours look the same. A morning can move from a passport interview to rebooking a failed delivery to sorting out a casual's shift for the afternoon.
- You run your own patch. Rosters, stock levels and how the counter is laid out are largely yours to decide within Australia Post's rules.
- The team is small and known. Supervising a handful of people you see every day is different from managing a large, shifting workforce, and training a new casual up to speed is a visible result.
What people find hard
- The Christmas peak. Parcel volumes climb steeply through November and December, with casuals to train and queues at the counter.
- Complaints about things you do not control. Delivery timing, lost parcels and branch decisions sit with Australia Post or the licensee, but the person behind the counter hears about them.
- You end up on the counter when someone is away. Sick leave and holidays usually mean the manager fills the gap, which pushes the banking and the paperwork into the evening.
- Thin margins in some outlets. Commission-based outlets earn on postal transactions and retail sales, so a quiet stretch or rising costs shows up quickly in the return.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ post office managers?
Transport, Postal and Warehousing employs the largest share of post office managers, followed by Retail Trade.
Top employing industries
- 1Transport, Postal and Warehousing
- 2Retail Trade
- 3Information Media and Telecommunications
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 38% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 24% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 20% | |
| Postgraduate | 10% | |
| Other | 8% |
Will AI replace post office managers?
Exposure is moderate. Self-service kiosks, automated parcel sorting and online tools have absorbed a good share of the routine counter and administrative work, and rostering or accounting software does much of the record keeping. The manager's week still turns on physical mail and parcels, staff on site and transactions that need someone who knows the rules.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Counter service and complex transactionsPassport interviews, identity checks and a parcel that has gone missing still need a person who knows the requirements and can explain them to a customer.30%low
- Parcel handling, sorting and retail merchandisingSelf-service kiosks take some counter sales, but parcels are still scanned, shelved and handed over by hand, and the shopfront still has to be stocked and priced.30%low
- Rostering and supervising staffRostering software such as Deputy can draft a week around expected parcel volumes, but someone still swaps shifts, trains casuals and covers the counter when a staff member calls in sick.20%moderate
- Reconciling takings, banking and stock orderingePOS reporting and accounting software like Xero do most of the adding up and flag stock that needs reordering, leaving the manager to check the numbers and act on them.20%high
Common questions about becoming a post office manager
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do post office managers earn?
Post office managers earn $75,400 per year before tax. What moves that figure is mainly the arrangement: corporate branch managers are paid under the Australia Post enterprise agreement, while licensed outlet managers often draw income tied to commission. The median spans both, so individual pay can sit well above or below it.
How do you become a post office manager?
Most post office managers start behind the counter in postal or retail customer service, then take on a second-in-charge or supervisory role. From there, learning the Australia Post systems, rostering and the compliance side of running an outlet is what makes a manager. 38% of the current workforce holds a Bachelor degree, but the job is largely learned on the floor.
Are post office managers in demand?
Post office managers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to decline 3% over the decade to 2035. About 3,100 people work as post office managers, so openings tend to be local and come up when someone leaves or a branch changes hands.
Will AI replace post office managers?
Not the job as a whole. Self-service kiosks, automated parcel sorting and the MyPost Business portal already handle transactions that once went across the counter, and rostering and accounting software cut the administrative load. What stays with the manager is the physical handling of mail and parcels, the judgement on complex transactions, and supervising a team on site every day.
What can post office managers move on to?
The skills carry into other small venue and retail management jobs. Club managers run a similar mix of cash, compliance and staff and earn $16,400 more, while stock controllers focus on inventory rather than customers and earn $5,400 more. Retail supervisors move into post office management from the other direction, and some managers go on to hold a licensed post office of their own, which is often where earnings grow.
What are the hours like?
Full-time post office managers work about 42 hours a week, and the branch's trading hours set the frame: early starts to get the mail sorted before the doors open, and Saturday morning counter duty in many outlets. Staff absences usually mean the manager covers the counter, so it stays a hands-on job rather than a desk one.
Related roles
- Betting Agency Manager
- Hotel Service Manager
- Stock Controller
- Club Manager
- Retail Supervisor
- Postal Delivery Officer
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