The U.S. Postal Service spent a record $42.8 billion on payroll in 2025 while posting a $9 billion loss, according to payroll records obtained by Open the Books.
Postmaster General David Steiner earned $350,260, the new records show, the highest salary in postal service history. Eight others earned more than $300,000. In total, 328 employees made more than $200,000. There were 394 people earning that amount in 2024.
Nearly 20,000 people made $100,000 or more.
The USPS brought in $80.5 billion in operating revenue, $916 million more than 2024. The boost was attributed to “strategic price increases” in postage costs, especially first-class mail.
Combined with $89.8 billion in expenses, the postal service had a $9 billion net loss. That was better than the $9.5 billion the postal service lost in 2024, which makes it appear as if its business model is improving. However, those figures include expenses and revenues that USPS management has no control over. Salaries, pensions, workers’ compensation, rent and more are mandated by Congress. Interest rates affect investment income.
When looking at only the spending that’s planned directly by postal service management, it had a “controllable loss” of $2.7 billion in 2025. That was the worst since 2020. Controllable loss was only $1.8 billion in 2024.
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