The March 7, 2026 COLA adjustment is now reflected in APWU clerk pay scales. Below you’ll find every grade and step for career clerks (PS-04 through PS-11) and Postal Support Employees (PSEs), along with what these numbers mean for your biweekly paycheck.
Want to see your actual take-home pay after deductions? Our calculator uses these exact pay scales.
Open the Pay Calculator →How APWU Pay Works
APWU-represented clerks are paid on a grade and step system. Your grade (PS-04 through PS-11) is determined by your position and level of responsibility. Your step advances over time based on your waiting period — from Step FF at the bottom to Step O (or P for grades 8–11) at the top.
Pay increases come from three sources: step increases (automatic, based on time in grade), general wage increases (GWI, negotiated in the contract), and cost of living adjustments (COLA, tied to CPI-W and applied every six months). The March 7, 2026 rates below reflect all three.
2026 APWU Clerk Pay Scale (PS Grades)
Annual salaries as of March 7, 2026. To get your biweekly gross, divide by 26. To get your hourly rate, divide by 2,080.
PS-04
| Step | FF | EE | DD | CC | BB | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS-04 | $52,215 | $53,411 | $54,607 | $55,803 | $56,999 | $58,195 | $59,391 | $60,587 | $61,783 | $62,979 | $64,175 | $65,371 | $66,567 | $67,763 | $68,959 | $70,155 | $71,351 | $72,547 | $73,743 | $74,939 | $76,135 |
PS-05
| Step | BB | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS-05 | $59,281 | $60,406 | $61,531 | $62,656 | $63,781 | $64,906 | $66,031 | $67,156 | $68,281 | $69,406 | $70,531 | $71,656 | $72,781 | $73,906 | $75,031 | $76,156 | $77,281 |
PS-06
| Step | BB | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS-06 | $61,522 | $62,584 | $63,646 | $64,708 | $65,770 | $66,832 | $67,894 | $68,956 | $70,018 | $71,080 | $72,142 | $73,204 | $74,266 | $75,328 | $76,390 | $77,452 | $78,514 |
PS-07
| Step | BB | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS-07 | $63,824 | $64,828 | $65,832 | $66,836 | $67,840 | $68,844 | $69,848 | $70,852 | $71,856 | $72,860 | $73,864 | $74,868 | $75,872 | $76,876 | $77,880 | $78,884 | $79,888 |
PS-08 through PS-11
| Grade | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS-08 | $66,836 | $67,871 | $68,906 | $69,941 | $70,976 | $72,011 | $73,046 | $74,081 | $75,116 | $76,151 | $77,186 | $78,221 | $79,256 | $80,291 | $81,326 | $82,361 |
| PS-09 | $74,422 | $75,196 | $75,970 | $76,744 | $77,518 | $78,292 | $79,066 | $79,840 | $80,614 | $81,388 | $82,162 | $82,936 | $83,710 | |||
| PS-10 | $78,237 | $79,157 | $80,077 | $80,997 | $81,917 | $82,837 | $83,757 | $84,677 | $85,597 | $86,517 | $87,437 | $88,357 | $89,277 | |||
| PS-11 | $81,094 | $82,128 | $83,162 | $84,196 | $85,230 | $86,264 | $87,298 | $88,332 | $89,366 | $90,400 | $91,434 | $92,468 | $93,502 |
PSE (Postal Support Employee) Pay Rates
PSEs are non-career APWU employees. They have fewer steps and a different benefits structure than career clerks.
| Grade | Step A | Step B | Hourly (A) | Hourly (B) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSE-05 | $42,141 | $43,181 | $20.26 | $20.76 |
| PSE-06 | $44,595 | $45,635 | $21.44 | $21.94 |
| PSE-07 | $47,226 | $48,266 | $22.70 | $23.20 |
What Affects Your Actual Paycheck
The numbers above are gross annual salaries. Your actual take-home pay depends on several deductions that come out every pay period:
FERS Retirement — 0.8% if hired before 2013, 3.1% if hired in 2013 (RAE), 4.4% if hired 2014 or later (FRAE). On a $66,832 salary, the difference between 0.8% and 4.4% is about $2,400/year less in your pocket.
Social Security — 6.2% of gross pay up to $176,100.
Medicare — 1.45% of all gross pay.
Federal & State Taxes — Varies by filing status, dependents, and state. Nine states have no income tax.
FEHB — Health insurance premiums vary widely by plan. Under the new PSHB program, premiums changed for many employees in 2025.
TSP — Whatever you elect to contribute. USPS matches up to 5% for career employees. The 2026 annual limit is $23,500 ($31,000 with catch-up if 50+).
See exactly what your paycheck looks like after all deductions. Select your grade, step, and state.
Calculate Your Take-Home Pay →Premium Pay for Clerks
Your base hourly rate is your annual salary divided by 2,080. Premium pay is calculated on top of this:
Overtime (O/T): 1.5x your base rate for hours over 8/day or 40/week.
Penalty Overtime (V-Time): 2x your base rate for hours over 10/day or 56/week. This is the double time clerks hit during peak season or heavy mandation.
Night Differential: +10% of base rate for hours between 6 PM and 6 AM.
Sunday Premium: +25% of base rate for non-overtime hours worked on Sunday.
Holiday Worked: Base rate on top of holiday pay, effectively double time.
For a detailed breakdown of how all premium pay types work, see our overtime rules guide.
When Do You Get Your Next Step Increase?
Step increase waiting periods for APWU clerks depend on where you are in the scale. The time between steps is generally 36 to 52 weeks for lower steps and extends to 52 weeks for higher steps. Your waiting period starts from your last step increase date (or your career appointment date for your first step).
Check your most recent PS Form 50 or your eOPF for your current step and step increase date. If you believe your step increase is overdue, contact your steward — delayed step increases are a common grievance topic.
COLA & Future Pay Adjustments
APWU clerks receive COLA adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). COLAs are calculated every six months and added to base pay. The March 7, 2026 COLA is already reflected in the tables above. The next COLA will be calculated based on the July 2026 CPI-W reading and applied in September 2026.
For more on how the March 2026 COLA affected your pay, see our COLA breakdown post.
If you’re also looking for information on APWU back pay or retro pay from the 2024–2026 contract, see our retro pay guide.
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