Maintenance (Custodial, Mechanic, ET)

What are Maintenance Positions?

USPS maintenance covers several different roles. These are some of the best-kept secrets in the Postal Service — many are career from day one with full benefits, set schedules, and higher pay than entry-level carrier or clerk positions.

Laborer Custodial

Entry-level maintenance. Janitorial duties: cleaning, scrubbing, waxing floors, lawn care, snow removal, moving furniture. No technical skills required — just a willingness to work.

Maintenance Mechanic

Semi-skilled position. Preventive and corrective maintenance on plumbing, heating, AC, building equipment, and some mail processing equipment. You need some mechanical aptitude.

Maintenance Mechanic MPE (Mail Processing Equipment)

Skilled position. Complex troubleshooting and maintenance on automated mail processing machines. These are big, expensive machines and you need to know what you're doing.

Electronic Technician (ET)

The most advanced maintenance role. Full diagnostic, preventive maintenance, calibration, and overhaul on electronic mail processing and building systems. Highest pay in the maintenance category.

How to Find These Jobs on eCareer

This is important — maintenance jobs are on the eCareer portal, NOT jobs.usps.com. And they're not always easy to find:

• Go to the eCareer Portal
• In the Functional Area dropdown, look under "Facilities" for custodial and building maintenance positions
• Look under "Processing Operations" for MPE and ET positions that work on mail processing equipment
• You can also search by keyword: "custodial", "maintenance mechanic", "electronic technician", "MPE"
• Pro tip: USPS's own documentation says "For the broadest selection, do NOT use Functional Area" — so also try searching by keyword + state only
• The search only shows 30 results max. If you see "Search Result: 30 hits" you're probably not seeing everything. Refine your search.
• Always hit "Reset" before a new search — old criteria carries over and messes up results

Pay and Benefits

• Laborer Custodial: ~$20-22/hr starting
• Maintenance Mechanic: ~$23-26/hr starting
• Maintenance Mechanic MPE: ~$25-29/hr starting
• Electronic Technician: ~$27-32/hr starting
• (Verify current rates — these change with contract negotiations)
• Key difference: Many maintenance positions are CAREER from day one — full benefits, set schedule, retirement immediately. No waiting 2 years like CCA/RCA/MHA/PSE.

Schedule

• Generally more predictable than carrier positions
• Often set shifts (day, evening, or night)
• Set days off — you know your schedule in advance
• Plants run 24/7 so night shifts are common, but at least they're consistent
• Plant-based positions (MPE, ET) follow the USPS tour system: Tour 1 (overnight ~11 PM – 7:30 AM), Tour 2 (day ~7 AM – 3:30 PM), Tour 3 (evening ~3 PM – 11:30 PM). Tour preference comes with seniority.

New to how USPS schedules work at plants? Read our full explanation of work tours.

Vehicle Requirements

No personal vehicle needed for the job itself.

Assessment Exams

These are different from carrier assessments. They test actual technical knowledge — not personality or situational judgment.

• Laborer Custodial: Exam 916
• Maintenance Mechanic & MPE: Exam 955
• Electronic Technician: Exam 955
• Exam 955 covers electrical, mechanical, and electronic principles — study is required
• Exam 916 is more general aptitude — less technical
• These are NOT the easy personality tests like the VEA for carriers

Conversion to Career

Many maintenance positions are career from day one. This is a HUGE advantage over CCA/RCA/MHA/PSE where you wait ~2 years for career status.

• Career from day one = full benefits, retirement contributions, TSP matching, job security — immediately
• This alone makes maintenance one of the best entry points into USPS if you can pass the exams

Probation

Still have a 90-day probation period even though you're career from day one. Same rules — attendance matters, follow instructions, don't give them a reason.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Career from day one (many positions) — this is the biggest advantage
• Set schedule with consistent days off
• Higher pay than entry-level carrier/clerk positions
• Learn real technical skills
• Less physically demanding than carrying mail (depending on role)
• Indoor work

Cons

• Exams require actual technical knowledge — harder to pass than VEA
• Night shifts common (especially at plants)
• Can be hard to find openings — fewer positions available compared to carrier jobs
• Some positions require prior technical experience
• Custodial work is janitorial — cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, shoveling snow

Tips from Experience

• If you have any mechanical, electrical, or technical background — maintenance might be your fastest path to a career position at USPS
• Laborer Custodial is the easiest to get into if you have no technical background — exam 916 is more general
• Study for exam 955 seriously — there are study guides available online. It covers things like Ohm's law, circuit diagrams, basic mechanics
• Check the eCareer portal regularly — maintenance postings come and go quickly
• The "career from day one" benefit cannot be overstated. While CCAs and RCAs are waiting 2+ years for full benefits, you have them from your first paycheck.