Postal service clerks
SOC Code: 43-5051
Postal service clerks carries a 64% AI exposure score (Very High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $61,630 and -3.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 74,200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 64% AI exposure, Postal service clerks sits 27 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 96% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
26/100
Postal service 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 C $61,630
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -3.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 64% 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 Postal service clerks in the Very High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Postal service clerks keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Postal service 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 Postal service clerks sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
64% Higher than most higher than 96% 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.
Postal service clerks vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Postal service 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
Postal service 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 in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
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 43-5051) 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 Postal service 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 Postal service 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. Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.
- 2. Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.
- 3. Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions.
- 4. Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing.
- 5. Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.
- 6. Complete forms regarding changes of address, or theft or loss of mail, or for special services such as registered or priority mail.
- 7. Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices.
- 8. Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags.
- 9. Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation.
- 10. Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Service Orientation
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Time Management
- Writing
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Sales and Marketing
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Production and Processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Postal service clerks?
Postal service clerks has an AI exposure score of 64%, indicating a very high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Postal service clerks?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Postal service clerks is projected to decline by 3.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 74,200 workers.
What skills are needed for Postal service clerks?
Key skills for Postal service clerks include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Postal service clerks earn?
The median annual wage for Postal service clerks is $61,630, 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 Postal service clerks?
The typical entry-level education for Postal service clerks is No formal educational credential. 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 Postal service clerks?
Postal service 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 Postal service 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 (64% here).
- Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers · AI exposure 64%
- Interviewers, except eligibility and loan · AI exposure 64%
- Library technicians · AI exposure 63%
- Tellers · AI exposure 65%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-3.5% here).
- Postal service mail carriers · growth -3.5%
- Postmasters and mail superintendents · growth -3.5%
- Conveyor operators and tenders · growth -3.4%
- Food preparation workers · growth -3.4%
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 Postal service clerks' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Postal service 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).