Methods and apparatus for formatting headers for data packets within a communication frame for use in a wireless communication system are presented. Formatting headers includes determining the size of a wireless communication frame, and formatting the payloads and associated headers within the communication frame according to the determined size. This formatting includes placing headers at the beginning of the frame before the data packets corresponding to the headers to optimize processing of the headers at a receiver. Formatting may also include formatting the headers according to a first format within the frame when the determined frame size is below a predetermined size to optimize the size of the headers, and formatting according to a second format within the frame size of the data packet is equal to or greater than the predetermined size to optimize processing for frames having large data packets.