30-Year Journalist Quits To Become Mailman, Now Richer And Walking 40,000 Steps Daily
KEY POINTS
- •Jim Lexa worked 30 years in journalism with declining pay before quitting at age 53.
- •After handyman jobs, he joined the Postal Service in November 2015 and quickly advanced to letter carrier.
- •Now 63, he earns up to $85,000 annually, walking up to 40,000 steps daily and enjoying less stress and more vacations.
Meet Jim Lexa of West Seneca, New York, who swapped his $30,000 newsroom blues for an $85,000 salary delivering mail — almost three times more cash, and zero front-page panic. After 30 long years freelance-spelling sports scores across Amarillo, Texas, Jim got tired of shrinking newspaper salaries (from $37,500 to $30,000) and grocery shopping with a calculator like it was a survival game. Turning 53, he did handyman gigs until he joined the U.S. Postal Service in 2015. Now at 63, he enjoys overtime pay, a spring in his step (12 to 18 miles daily), and a vacation fund big enough for dates with Charlotte, his wife — all while laughing at journalism’s obituary.
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(1 of 3)Jim made more money delivering mail at age 63 than he ever did chasing sports stories, proving the real headline: newspapers pay you in sadness, not cash.
30 years writing stories where paychecks shrink faster than print newspapers. Jim’s cure? Carrying mail, walking 40k steps, and getting paid triple. Journalism must feel betrayed like a crush at a postal party.
Jim’s career arc: from spelling athletes’ names to spelling profit — turns out walking 18 miles with letters beats scribbling sports scores for 30 grand.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 4/12/2026 | Author: Jane Ridley
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