Correspondence clerks
SOC Code: 43-4021
Correspondence clerks carries a 72% AI exposure score (Very High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $46,740 and -5.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 6,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 72% AI exposure, Correspondence clerks sits 35 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 98% of them. It is one of just 21 occupations above the 70% high-exposure line.
Career outlook score
15/100
Correspondence clerks, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $46,740
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -5.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 72% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Correspondence clerks in the Very High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Correspondence clerks sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Correspondence clerks sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
72% Higher than most higher than 98% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Correspondence clerks vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Correspondence clerks is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Correspondence clerks's Very High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score above 70% signals that the majority of core duties are already technically automatable, workers in these roles face the steepest near-term displacement pressure.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 43-4021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Correspondence clerks be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Correspondence clerks. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Ensure that money collected is properly recorded and secured.
- 2. Maintain files and control records to show correspondence activities.
- 3. Read incoming correspondence to ascertain nature of writers' concerns and to determine disposition of correspondence.
- 4. Gather records pertinent to specific problems, review them for completeness and accuracy, and attach records to correspondence as necessary.
- 5. Prepare documents and correspondence, such as damage claims, credit and billing inquiries, invoices, and service complaints.
- 6. Process orders for goods requested in correspondence.
- 7. Compile data from records to prepare periodic reports.
- 8. Compose letters in reply to correspondence concerning such items as requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit information requests, delinquent accounts, incorrect billing, or unsatisfactory service.
- 9. Present clear and concise explanations of governing rules and regulations.
- 10. Review correspondence for format and typographical accuracy, assemble the information into a prescribed form with the correct number of copies, and submit it to an authorized official for signature.
Key Skills Required
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Time Management
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Administrative
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Economics and Accounting
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Communications and Media
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Correspondence clerks?
Correspondence clerks has an AI exposure score of 72%, indicating a very high level of automation risk. Many tasks in this role involve routine data processing and pattern recognition that current AI systems can perform.
What is the job outlook for Correspondence clerks?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Correspondence clerks is projected to decline by 5.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 6,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Correspondence clerks?
Key skills for Correspondence clerks include Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Correspondence clerks earn?
The median annual wage for Correspondence clerks is $46,740, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Correspondence clerks?
The typical entry-level education for Correspondence clerks is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Correspondence clerks?
Correspondence clerks roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Very High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A majority of tasks in this occupation are susceptible to AI automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Correspondence clerks: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (72% here).
- Procurement clerks · AI exposure 71%
- Tax preparers · AI exposure 71%
- Compliance officers · AI exposure 69%
- Insurance claims and policy processing clerks · AI exposure 69%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-5.6% here).
- Cooks, short order · growth -5.6%
- Electrical and electronics drafters · growth -5.6%
- Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys · growth -5.5%
- Customer service representatives · growth -5.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 24 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Correspondence clerks' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Correspondence clerks side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).