>Am I crazy to leave a salaried 60k position for a CCA position in a small town of only 2,200 people?
100%
You could be in for a massive pay cut, if the office is that snall.
Thanks for the response! Yeah I currently am an area manager for an optometry company but just sick of sales and insurance etc. But yeah I do make good money and have a wife and 3 kids so I don't want to make stupid moves. In my mind I thought "oh hey a federal job has to be good right. Plus I'd be outside"
I hope OP is mindful when reading these comments… some people are saying he’ll lose pay due to lack of hours and some say he’ll never see his family… just understand that EVERY office is ran different.
Definitely taking it all in. It seems it’s about 90% if not more saying it’s not a good idea. I did go today to get fingerprinted and they said I’d also be helping out surrounding offices as needed but besides that I have no other information.
Seriously, don't do it. Being a CCA is extremely exploitative. My advice is wait until the new contract gets signed then make your decision. There is generally a revolving door of CCA hirings so you can apply at a later date and likely have no issue.
Don’t do it. I left the ambulance service and I worked much rather get into wrestling matches with schizo pts instead of dealing with these nimrods at the post office. You can fine better work some where else. The job itself is not bad but the management just make it a million times harder for no apparent reason other than just to let you know they’re in charge. I’ve never met such a low IQ smooth brained group of mouth breathers and I’ve been to the Ludeman center for calls before
Your wife and kids won’t see you if you’re in the average office. I’ve done 7-13 day stretches with one day off for 3 years. No route opening up for me to go to a 5-day work week in sight for at least 5 years. The old timers aren’t giving up their $90k job in a small town and I’ll keep working every holiday and weekend until one of them has had enough.
It's a pretty fun and stress free job, IF working 45-60 hours a week doesn't bother you.
You'll fit right in if you know how to ignore management and nod with a smile. Otherwise quite possibly the easiest penny for physical labor you'll ever work that offers 40 or more hours a week. You'll know the guys who actually worked shit jobs, they love this job.
I would talk to that post office and see what the hours are like... or if you see the carriers on the street... I have not worked less than 48 hours in over a year, and I think I am in a medium-sized office. A small office might only have 2-3 routes or 2 and an aux. If they are fully staffed, you might only get 10-20 hours a week.
Please take some time and reconsider this. If you’re dead set on it then go ahead. You’re not going to make 60k here for at least 8-10 years. Ive always enjoyed the job but you have to be here awhile before the pay is anywhere close to what we deserve.
Damn a decade to get that pay kinda sucks. I was thinking MAYBE the pay would be at 45k-ish. I do work a side remote job which could supplement the pay but when you say I'd make way less, like how much we talking? I've yet to be told both pay rate or how many hours I'lll be working.
Less than 20 an hour and no guarantee on getting full time hours for the first 2 years. It's a last resort gig for a lot of people nowadays. You might wanna reconsider.
I made 75k as a cca last year. Problem is if I worked a normal 40 hour work week like I assume your job is I would’ve only made 40k. That extra 35k came from six days a week, 10-12 hour days. Not to neglect working every federal holiday besides July 4th, thanksgiving and Christmas. You’ll also be working pretty much every Saturday and Sunday so with a family I don’t think it’s a good idea for you unless you plan on leaving your current job no matter what.
As a cca you make like 19/hr. The people on here saying they made made 60k their second year here are working an ungodly amount of OT and you don’t want that trust me. You’re not going to have that much OT in a town of 2,200 anyway. You’ll probably actually have under 40 hours a week. I was a cca in a town of 4400 for two years and I rarely got OT. When you do reach full time the first step is 46k a year and it goes up a couple thousand a year. You can look at the pay schedule by googling NALC pay schedule it will be the first thing that pops up.
CCAs start at $19.33 an hour.
There is no way to know how many hours you will be working. But small offices, it's usually hard to find hours.
You might have to go to other offices and offer to work to get 40 hours.
how did you accept an offer for a job that did not come with the salary or pay rate? I don’t see how that could even be constituted an offer if you don’t know how much they’re going to pay you.
Regular city carrier in midwest here and my first year as a cca did 86k. All depends on how staffed the office is. We'll see if I do as well this year as a regular on the OTDL
Lots of bitching and moaning on this sub. It's what ppl come here for, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm on the rural side. Worked 60 hours a week most weeks 6 and 7 days a week during my first 5 years as an RCA. 55k to 65k. I'm a regular now working 5 or less days a week, off work and sitting at home by 3 most days and making more than that! I really like the job in both positions, but life is grand when you make it to regular. RCA and CCA are real grind jobs. Depending on your area, there could be too much work and not enough you, or to many yous and not enough work. Ask your assigned office what's what. As a CCA, you'll make career in 2 years, which is nice. The ultimate goal is regular, where you have your own route. Then you're golden.
CCA 2nd year turning PTF november. I made 55k last year.
If you love your kids and wife keep the job you have now. I would trade with you in a heartbeat. I have 2 kids and a wifem the first year i didnt see them on any holiday or birthday. I no longer work sundays though. We got a new postmaster and hes actually a godsend. He tells our office on a regular basis that noone should stress any day while working for the post office. He's a good PM.
The post office is unforgiving though and depending on where you end up it can get pretty bad. In December I do 75 hour weeks. Political season coming up is gonna suck. Good luck!
8-10 years no. I am a clerk around 4 years in from when I started and make 57k on a 40 hour work week. If I do overtime it would be even more. Assuming the union keeps the COLAs and yearly wage increases I would be looking at 60k much shorter than 8 years. They expect the COLA for clerks for be 44 cents for clerks alone right now come August which will be a 704 increase putting me at 58k.
Idk what office you work at, but the pay without OT is 40k starting. With OT, a CCA can easily pull 80k. It's very common. Most of them start at 50k or more, too. But you're saying 8 years to make 60k and you max out after 13. Which would put you near 70k, lmao.
With OT a CCA can easily pull 80k? Bull 💩.
Would need a lot of Penalty time to get there… not just OT. I worked 55-60 hours basically every single week and made 57k
I would have a plan B just in case you don't get the hours you need. I too took a pay cut coming to USPS but it's a 113k population city so hours aren't an issue. Things can be so different from one office to the next. Dealing with management can be stressful but honestly that's been every job I've ever had. I like leaving the office and being alone the majority of the day. I put one ear bud in and listen to music while I do park and loops. It's much more relaxing than my previous job. I was able to quickly become an unassigned regular(6 months) I would just worry about the size of the town in your case. Anyway sorry for the paragraph and good luck.
Sorry to bother, but I recently applied to two different cities. One 30 mins away that is around 100k people and the one I currently live in which is something like 1.2 ish million people. Which size Post office would you say is better to work for? I’m considering the 100k one even tho it’s a bit more of a drive, I imagine there would be way less routes to worry about.
The 1.2 million has to be broken up into multiple offices. It's hard to answer because all offices are different. As far as hours I'd guess all of them would probably be getting you a lot.
Actually talk to someone who delivers in your area, they'll give you a much better idea of the working conditions there. Every office is different.
A lot of people here just like to complain anonymously, take what they say with that in mind.
Here seems to be a bit of a different opinion but not 100%. I used to live in the Bay area and technically made more an hour at my previous job, at my highest it was 30.00 an hr. But with the cost of living in the bay area and all that comes with it made living in the Bay really really hard. When I got the offer as an RCA in a small rural town my mother was from I took it.
My medical for my family of 3 went from high 600s a month to 150ish a month when I switched to USPS. We are healthy and didn't see any changes in our medical needs. Wife's was still able to get all her medication and the check up and what not for the kiddo went perfectly. The cost of living from bay area rent to small town rent was again a HUGE improvement as well. I pay the same in rent at my current place as I did in the Bay but I have a huge backyard with a creek running in it and a nice garden.
All in all yes I took a big cut in straight pay but did receive other benefits in return. To me it would matter on what you are trying to achieve. I wanted to be able to have a family in a nice area with a backyard and good benefits, so USPS in a small rural town made sense for me.
Now the other part, getting to the point of regular was hell. No other words. A good week at USPS was only 60 hrs but since it was just me and one other RCA for an office of 10 routes we usually were around 75-80 hrs a week. At one point I thought about hurting myself just to get a break. Luckily I made it to regular only a few months after thinking about that. It took me 2.5 years to make regular.
I still tell people that ask me I wouldn't recommend the job to family or friends. The RCA and CCA life is hard like HARD in most offices. But now as a regular rural carrier it's the greatest job. It's a weird career being a mail carrier and not many can cut it. Management and the office are what really matters, we had a shit tard for a PM at first then and now we got a good one.
I did the same thing but I am doing it for future me. Not today me. Today me hates me. Hopefully future me is thankful. I drive a lot to other offices to squeeze as many hours as I can in a work week.
Alright, everyone's telling you not to do it. BUT, most CCAs make well over 50k a year starting. Your town size would depend on this, yes. In the long term, taking the job would be better if your current one doesn't promote well. But they are right, you probably won't get 40 hours. The way to really find out is to go to that post office and ask if a supervisor for the carriers is free, then ask them. They will openly tell you if you'll work a lot.
Do you know how many RCAs are currently working there? It will be AT LEAST 1 yr before you can convert. You'll be lucky to make 40k in a small office and you'll probably have to go to other offices for hours.
That's too small of a town to get enough hours to support your family. And if you were a CCA in a larger town you'd have too many hours and never see your family. I understand wanting a change but taking this particular job isn't the right choice. I sunk into debt being a CCA in a small town and it's just me and my husband with no children.
IF you take the job, be prepared for the possibility that you won’t see your wife or kids for significant chunks of the week. You could work 60 hours one week and then 20 the next. Depending on how far you live from the station, you could be gone upwards of 13-16 hours a day.
Talk to your carrier. Ask them how long does it usually take to make PTF or FTR. This varies significantly from area to area. Shit, talk to multiple city carriers. Ask them how the office is. What are the Supervisors and Station Master are like. What’s the Postmaster like. Ask about the union. I say this because these are all factors that vary, like A LOT, from station to station and union branch to union branch.
If you are lucky, you’ll get a consistent 40 hours per week. That is just over $40K a year. That side gig you’re doing now….it may become your main gig if hours are nonexistent or it may be months before you can do it, because you are working 50-60 hours a week.
If you can get a bigger town in could be worth it. I made 64k my first year. There's better paying jobs but I really enjoy the time being alone and staying active that other jobs don't offer. Completely got rid of my anxiety/depression/sleep troubles and now my joints don't hurt after losing a massive amount of weight from my previous office job. The job security is great, lots of jobs get people in on the ground floor with a good salary but you're getting laid off the moment you can be outsourced or you will stay at that pay level forever.
If you’re going to make this sort of switch become a CCA in a big office. You’ll make career much faster. It could be 15 years before you made career in that specific rural office
I work out of a small office like that. Depending on the staff situation you could have trouble getting enough hours. Hiring me put our city side as fully staffed. The town has 3000 people, we have one full time route and one aux. There are weeks I'm only scheduled at my home office one day. Two is normal to cover days off for the other two city carriers. In order to get more hours I have to go work in another town, usually one that's a decent drive away. (45 miles from home). If I wanted to I could hit 60 hours every week helping in that town, and you get paid mileage too which adds up fast. I try to keep my hours around 35 as my income is our families second income. I love my job but being out of a small office can make it hard to get hours. I would definitely find out the situation in the office you would be working out of and what options there are for helping in other towns before going all in.
One of the benefits of helping in another office is that I don't have to work more hours at that office than I want. If I want to leave at 8 hours when there I can, and not be in any kind of trouble unlike if you are at your own office.
Another benefit to a small office is many small offices do not have Amazon Sunday. I have only worked one Sunday since I started almost a year ago and that was in another town. This is a great job that will get better as long as the office or another office can offer enough hours to pay your bills. I love my job even though I'm being paid less both money wise and hours wise than I was before. I was in retail management (grocery) before the post office and I was sooooooo burned out on it.
It a great move to fast track yourself to misery. If abandoning your family, developing a drug and drinking habit, and experiencing some of the worst management practices on the face of the planet sound good than do it. There is a really good chance the company won't be around in the next 5 years or so, least how we know of it (thanks McKinsey Group).
It all depends on the office. Go down and talk to the station manager. All you hear is the bad on here because some stations are run like crap.
I have a good station and I love my job. The worst thing for me is the Texas summer heat but that’s bearable. Good luck on your decision.
I definitely wouldn’t do it for a CCA position. It would be much more reasonable to do it if you found a PTF City Carrier position. It would be posted as Carrier (City) Career Job w/ Benefits. You still wouldn’t be guaranteed 40 hours, but you’d start with a $3/hr higher wage and have the benefits of a career employee. You would also have a better chance of converting to full time more quickly, at most within 2 years. I started as a PTF (working 50+ hours per week) in a metro area and converted to full time within 4 months. But that’s not the experience everywhere.
Wait and see what happens with the contract. Don't leave your job to take a pay cut and not see your family for up to 2 years. Follow the sub and look for updates then ask this question again.
Should've done more research on this sub before making the jump. I sat on here for about a year until a PTF spot opened up. Hell no, if you're 'ok' where you're at, don't do it.
You will not make over 50K working 40hrs 5 days a week. You will have to do overtime. $46k reg to $48k reg Cca is not guaranteed work and remember Cca are often fired because they’re too slow make too many errors etc. I wouldn’t leave a solid gig for usps Cca job.
>Am I crazy to leave a salaried 60k position for a CCA position in a small town of only 2,200 people? 100% You could be in for a massive pay cut, if the office is that snall.
Thanks for the response! Yeah I currently am an area manager for an optometry company but just sick of sales and insurance etc. But yeah I do make good money and have a wife and 3 kids so I don't want to make stupid moves. In my mind I thought "oh hey a federal job has to be good right. Plus I'd be outside"
U won’t see much of your wife and kids if u come to usps. The post office will be your home. 😞
I hope OP is mindful when reading these comments… some people are saying he’ll lose pay due to lack of hours and some say he’ll never see his family… just understand that EVERY office is ran different.
Definitely taking it all in. It seems it’s about 90% if not more saying it’s not a good idea. I did go today to get fingerprinted and they said I’d also be helping out surrounding offices as needed but besides that I have no other information.
Seriously, don't do it. Being a CCA is extremely exploitative. My advice is wait until the new contract gets signed then make your decision. There is generally a revolving door of CCA hirings so you can apply at a later date and likely have no issue.
Terrible working condition, worse pay, worse work life balance. Literally why. I’m 5-6years in and only make 50k
How many hours a week are you working? I work like 52-55 hours a week as a CCA (dunno the exact average) and grossed 57k last year.
I grossed 73k my first year as a cca and have consistently made less every year despite “raises.” They overburden ccas because they’re cheap.
I grossed 57k last year as well. 55-60 per week every single week…. What work/life balance?
Say goodbye to your family life
Probably not in a small town like that. I work in a similarily populated town and I barely scrape 40 hours a week
Don’t do it. I left the ambulance service and I worked much rather get into wrestling matches with schizo pts instead of dealing with these nimrods at the post office. You can fine better work some where else. The job itself is not bad but the management just make it a million times harder for no apparent reason other than just to let you know they’re in charge. I’ve never met such a low IQ smooth brained group of mouth breathers and I’ve been to the Ludeman center for calls before
Your wife and kids won’t see you if you’re in the average office. I’ve done 7-13 day stretches with one day off for 3 years. No route opening up for me to go to a 5-day work week in sight for at least 5 years. The old timers aren’t giving up their $90k job in a small town and I’ll keep working every holiday and weekend until one of them has had enough.
It's a pretty fun and stress free job, IF working 45-60 hours a week doesn't bother you. You'll fit right in if you know how to ignore management and nod with a smile. Otherwise quite possibly the easiest penny for physical labor you'll ever work that offers 40 or more hours a week. You'll know the guys who actually worked shit jobs, they love this job.
Dude keep the position you're at. Don't you go nowhere near the post office.
I would talk to that post office and see what the hours are like... or if you see the carriers on the street... I have not worked less than 48 hours in over a year, and I think I am in a medium-sized office. A small office might only have 2-3 routes or 2 and an aux. If they are fully staffed, you might only get 10-20 hours a week.
There’s also a possibility that you would get fired in the first 90 days at usps. I wouldn’t do it.
Dont do it.
Please take some time and reconsider this. If you’re dead set on it then go ahead. You’re not going to make 60k here for at least 8-10 years. Ive always enjoyed the job but you have to be here awhile before the pay is anywhere close to what we deserve.
Damn a decade to get that pay kinda sucks. I was thinking MAYBE the pay would be at 45k-ish. I do work a side remote job which could supplement the pay but when you say I'd make way less, like how much we talking? I've yet to be told both pay rate or how many hours I'lll be working.
Less than 20 an hour and no guarantee on getting full time hours for the first 2 years. It's a last resort gig for a lot of people nowadays. You might wanna reconsider.
I made 75k as a cca last year. Problem is if I worked a normal 40 hour work week like I assume your job is I would’ve only made 40k. That extra 35k came from six days a week, 10-12 hour days. Not to neglect working every federal holiday besides July 4th, thanksgiving and Christmas. You’ll also be working pretty much every Saturday and Sunday so with a family I don’t think it’s a good idea for you unless you plan on leaving your current job no matter what.
As a cca you make like 19/hr. The people on here saying they made made 60k their second year here are working an ungodly amount of OT and you don’t want that trust me. You’re not going to have that much OT in a town of 2,200 anyway. You’ll probably actually have under 40 hours a week. I was a cca in a town of 4400 for two years and I rarely got OT. When you do reach full time the first step is 46k a year and it goes up a couple thousand a year. You can look at the pay schedule by googling NALC pay schedule it will be the first thing that pops up.
This is true I made 57k my first full year. 55-60 hours every week. With NO penalty time.
CCAs start at $19.33 an hour. There is no way to know how many hours you will be working. But small offices, it's usually hard to find hours. You might have to go to other offices and offer to work to get 40 hours.
$19.xx per hour, you’d have to ask your local station or union how quickly ccas are converting. And how many hours they work.
Pay rate was in your job posting. $19.33/hr Hours: Varies. Might want to stop by and ask someone at the office what they’re getting.
Starts at 19.23/hr and hours depend on the office. You may work 20 hours, and you may work 60
how did you accept an offer for a job that did not come with the salary or pay rate? I don’t see how that could even be constituted an offer if you don’t know how much they’re going to pay you.
My first year as a CCA I made almost 100k. My first year as a regular on the Overtime Desired list I made 80k.
Regular city carrier in midwest here and my first year as a cca did 86k. All depends on how staffed the office is. We'll see if I do as well this year as a regular on the OTDL
Lots of bitching and moaning on this sub. It's what ppl come here for, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm on the rural side. Worked 60 hours a week most weeks 6 and 7 days a week during my first 5 years as an RCA. 55k to 65k. I'm a regular now working 5 or less days a week, off work and sitting at home by 3 most days and making more than that! I really like the job in both positions, but life is grand when you make it to regular. RCA and CCA are real grind jobs. Depending on your area, there could be too much work and not enough you, or to many yous and not enough work. Ask your assigned office what's what. As a CCA, you'll make career in 2 years, which is nice. The ultimate goal is regular, where you have your own route. Then you're golden.
CCA 2nd year turning PTF november. I made 55k last year. If you love your kids and wife keep the job you have now. I would trade with you in a heartbeat. I have 2 kids and a wifem the first year i didnt see them on any holiday or birthday. I no longer work sundays though. We got a new postmaster and hes actually a godsend. He tells our office on a regular basis that noone should stress any day while working for the post office. He's a good PM. The post office is unforgiving though and depending on where you end up it can get pretty bad. In December I do 75 hour weeks. Political season coming up is gonna suck. Good luck!
I made over 60k my first 3 years in as an rca. Once I made regular I make a lot less now 😢😞 and I pick up OT anytime possible
8-10 years no. I am a clerk around 4 years in from when I started and make 57k on a 40 hour work week. If I do overtime it would be even more. Assuming the union keeps the COLAs and yearly wage increases I would be looking at 60k much shorter than 8 years. They expect the COLA for clerks for be 44 cents for clerks alone right now come August which will be a 704 increase putting me at 58k.
I have no idea what clerks pay is and neither do I care because this person is talking about being a CCA, not a clerk.
Ok then I'm a CCA and made 57k my first year.
Good for you
Idk what office you work at, but the pay without OT is 40k starting. With OT, a CCA can easily pull 80k. It's very common. Most of them start at 50k or more, too. But you're saying 8 years to make 60k and you max out after 13. Which would put you near 70k, lmao.
With OT a CCA can easily pull 80k? Bull 💩. Would need a lot of Penalty time to get there… not just OT. I worked 55-60 hours basically every single week and made 57k
I've met plenty on here that hit over 100k that first year. A lot of people do work 60-80 hours. My office is down 15 routes right now bro.
The key word in penalty 🤣. I could only wish we were allowed penalty at mine. We get PDIs for that.
Don't do it! As a CCA in such a small town you could potentially only work one or two days a week, or only a few hours each day.
I sure as hell wouldn’t.
CCAs aren't guaranteed hours. You could be working 15 hours a week at 19.33 an hour.
Most likely, the case in an office that small
No don't do it. I'm city and i don't get 40 hour weeks.
Dang what city is that? I'm city, 40 days into my 90 as a PTF and they're trying to make me break 60 hours a week
There are a lot of towns where part time carriers can’t break 40 hours…we don’t all live in a big city
I'm in Houston 😭
Oh I’m trying to ereassign there. Smh how are the customers online complaining of no mail and they’re not working y’all
Houston. Small station
I would have a plan B just in case you don't get the hours you need. I too took a pay cut coming to USPS but it's a 113k population city so hours aren't an issue. Things can be so different from one office to the next. Dealing with management can be stressful but honestly that's been every job I've ever had. I like leaving the office and being alone the majority of the day. I put one ear bud in and listen to music while I do park and loops. It's much more relaxing than my previous job. I was able to quickly become an unassigned regular(6 months) I would just worry about the size of the town in your case. Anyway sorry for the paragraph and good luck.
Sorry to bother, but I recently applied to two different cities. One 30 mins away that is around 100k people and the one I currently live in which is something like 1.2 ish million people. Which size Post office would you say is better to work for? I’m considering the 100k one even tho it’s a bit more of a drive, I imagine there would be way less routes to worry about.
The 1.2 million has to be broken up into multiple offices. It's hard to answer because all offices are different. As far as hours I'd guess all of them would probably be getting you a lot.
Ok def second guessing my decision. Obviously I didn't quit my current job and I'm no worse for wear but it was something I was strongly considering.
Actually talk to someone who delivers in your area, they'll give you a much better idea of the working conditions there. Every office is different. A lot of people here just like to complain anonymously, take what they say with that in mind.
Here seems to be a bit of a different opinion but not 100%. I used to live in the Bay area and technically made more an hour at my previous job, at my highest it was 30.00 an hr. But with the cost of living in the bay area and all that comes with it made living in the Bay really really hard. When I got the offer as an RCA in a small rural town my mother was from I took it. My medical for my family of 3 went from high 600s a month to 150ish a month when I switched to USPS. We are healthy and didn't see any changes in our medical needs. Wife's was still able to get all her medication and the check up and what not for the kiddo went perfectly. The cost of living from bay area rent to small town rent was again a HUGE improvement as well. I pay the same in rent at my current place as I did in the Bay but I have a huge backyard with a creek running in it and a nice garden. All in all yes I took a big cut in straight pay but did receive other benefits in return. To me it would matter on what you are trying to achieve. I wanted to be able to have a family in a nice area with a backyard and good benefits, so USPS in a small rural town made sense for me. Now the other part, getting to the point of regular was hell. No other words. A good week at USPS was only 60 hrs but since it was just me and one other RCA for an office of 10 routes we usually were around 75-80 hrs a week. At one point I thought about hurting myself just to get a break. Luckily I made it to regular only a few months after thinking about that. It took me 2.5 years to make regular. I still tell people that ask me I wouldn't recommend the job to family or friends. The RCA and CCA life is hard like HARD in most offices. But now as a regular rural carrier it's the greatest job. It's a weird career being a mail carrier and not many can cut it. Management and the office are what really matters, we had a shit tard for a PM at first then and now we got a good one.
Appreciate this response, sincerely.
Well said.
I did the same thing but I am doing it for future me. Not today me. Today me hates me. Hopefully future me is thankful. I drive a lot to other offices to squeeze as many hours as I can in a work week.
Alright, everyone's telling you not to do it. BUT, most CCAs make well over 50k a year starting. Your town size would depend on this, yes. In the long term, taking the job would be better if your current one doesn't promote well. But they are right, you probably won't get 40 hours. The way to really find out is to go to that post office and ask if a supervisor for the carriers is free, then ask them. They will openly tell you if you'll work a lot.
Dude. Don’t accept the job.
Do you know how many RCAs are currently working there? It will be AT LEAST 1 yr before you can convert. You'll be lucky to make 40k in a small office and you'll probably have to go to other offices for hours.
DO NOT JOIN USPS
DO NOT
I beg you do not do this
That's too small of a town to get enough hours to support your family. And if you were a CCA in a larger town you'd have too many hours and never see your family. I understand wanting a change but taking this particular job isn't the right choice. I sunk into debt being a CCA in a small town and it's just me and my husband with no children.
CCAs in small offices tend to get sent to other offices in the area. Maybe that won't happen to you but it does from what I've seen.
Have fun with that game.
IF you take the job, be prepared for the possibility that you won’t see your wife or kids for significant chunks of the week. You could work 60 hours one week and then 20 the next. Depending on how far you live from the station, you could be gone upwards of 13-16 hours a day. Talk to your carrier. Ask them how long does it usually take to make PTF or FTR. This varies significantly from area to area. Shit, talk to multiple city carriers. Ask them how the office is. What are the Supervisors and Station Master are like. What’s the Postmaster like. Ask about the union. I say this because these are all factors that vary, like A LOT, from station to station and union branch to union branch. If you are lucky, you’ll get a consistent 40 hours per week. That is just over $40K a year. That side gig you’re doing now….it may become your main gig if hours are nonexistent or it may be months before you can do it, because you are working 50-60 hours a week.
If you get hired straight to PTF you could make 60k...if you're willing to work almost 70 hours a week lol
If you can get a bigger town in could be worth it. I made 64k my first year. There's better paying jobs but I really enjoy the time being alone and staying active that other jobs don't offer. Completely got rid of my anxiety/depression/sleep troubles and now my joints don't hurt after losing a massive amount of weight from my previous office job. The job security is great, lots of jobs get people in on the ground floor with a good salary but you're getting laid off the moment you can be outsourced or you will stay at that pay level forever.
If you’re going to make this sort of switch become a CCA in a big office. You’ll make career much faster. It could be 15 years before you made career in that specific rural office
Yes.
Talk with your mail carrier and see how the work is or if you want try and get a postion in a bigger town close by. Wish you luck 🫡
I work out of a small office like that. Depending on the staff situation you could have trouble getting enough hours. Hiring me put our city side as fully staffed. The town has 3000 people, we have one full time route and one aux. There are weeks I'm only scheduled at my home office one day. Two is normal to cover days off for the other two city carriers. In order to get more hours I have to go work in another town, usually one that's a decent drive away. (45 miles from home). If I wanted to I could hit 60 hours every week helping in that town, and you get paid mileage too which adds up fast. I try to keep my hours around 35 as my income is our families second income. I love my job but being out of a small office can make it hard to get hours. I would definitely find out the situation in the office you would be working out of and what options there are for helping in other towns before going all in.
One of the benefits of helping in another office is that I don't have to work more hours at that office than I want. If I want to leave at 8 hours when there I can, and not be in any kind of trouble unlike if you are at your own office. Another benefit to a small office is many small offices do not have Amazon Sunday. I have only worked one Sunday since I started almost a year ago and that was in another town. This is a great job that will get better as long as the office or another office can offer enough hours to pay your bills. I love my job even though I'm being paid less both money wise and hours wise than I was before. I was in retail management (grocery) before the post office and I was sooooooo burned out on it.
If you can last to become regular financially it will pay off. I made well over 60,000 last year. But it will suck while you are a cca
Take vacation from your current job. Try it out and see if you like it. Being a small town, it might be a nice cozy job.
It a great move to fast track yourself to misery. If abandoning your family, developing a drug and drinking habit, and experiencing some of the worst management practices on the face of the planet sound good than do it. There is a really good chance the company won't be around in the next 5 years or so, least how we know of it (thanks McKinsey Group).
It all depends on the office. Go down and talk to the station manager. All you hear is the bad on here because some stations are run like crap. I have a good station and I love my job. The worst thing for me is the Texas summer heat but that’s bearable. Good luck on your decision.
You’d have to be insane to do that honestly
Yes.
Yeah bad idea.
I definitely wouldn’t do it for a CCA position. It would be much more reasonable to do it if you found a PTF City Carrier position. It would be posted as Carrier (City) Career Job w/ Benefits. You still wouldn’t be guaranteed 40 hours, but you’d start with a $3/hr higher wage and have the benefits of a career employee. You would also have a better chance of converting to full time more quickly, at most within 2 years. I started as a PTF (working 50+ hours per week) in a metro area and converted to full time within 4 months. But that’s not the experience everywhere.
Same bro i gotta get uaed to these minimum wage checks now 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just go hiking every other day or go to the gym more.
Wait and see what happens with the contract. Don't leave your job to take a pay cut and not see your family for up to 2 years. Follow the sub and look for updates then ask this question again.
ABORT, ABORT, ABORT.
I'm a CCA in a town of a similar size and I've worked two hours at my office so far this year. To me that's awesome, but to you maybe not.
Brother keep your current job trust me to much bs at post office not enough money
Don’t do it, this is the worst possible thing you could do for your family. Suck it up and stay at your current job.
1000% you are!!
Should've done more research on this sub before making the jump. I sat on here for about a year until a PTF spot opened up. Hell no, if you're 'ok' where you're at, don't do it.
Worst decision you could ever make
This has to be the worst trade deal in the history of deals—maybe ever.
Don’t do it
This is a HORRIBLE idea, especially with a family to support.
Would literally be the worst decision you could make!
You will not make over 50K working 40hrs 5 days a week. You will have to do overtime. $46k reg to $48k reg Cca is not guaranteed work and remember Cca are often fired because they’re too slow make too many errors etc. I wouldn’t leave a solid gig for usps Cca job.
Stay where you’re at bro. Not worth it.
Turnover is pretty high you could end up quitting in short order.
Wear easy to remove shorts and bring some KY on your first day