Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Postal Service Clerks
Occupation · SOC 43-5051.00
Perform any combination of tasks in a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office, such as receive letters and parcels; sell postage and revenue stamps, postal cards, and stamped envelopes; fill out and sell money orders; place mail in pigeon holes of mail rack or in bags; and examine mail for correct postage. Includes postal service clerks employed by USPS contractors.
Also called: Clerk · Postal Clerk · Sales and Service Associate (SSA) · Window Clerk · Bulk Mail Technician · Distribution Clerk · Part Time Flexible Clerk (PTF Clerk) · Sales and Distribution Clerk · Annuitant HCA (Annuitant Holiday Clerk Assistant) · Bulk Clerk · Bulk Mail Clerk · Business Mail Entry Clerk
Job family: Office and Administrative Support Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-43-5051-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-3.5% by 2034)
- 6,100 openings/yr
- High AI exposure
- Median pay $61,630/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- Both the 2013 computerization estimate and today's AI exposure rank this high
50th-percentile task overlap — yet about 6,100 openings a year (-3.5% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 34th | -0.5 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 43rd | 0.5 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High | 74th | 0.2 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.5). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.9 · 89th percentile among occupations · High
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -3.5% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 6,100 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 74,200 → 71,600 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international 2 occupations below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Postal Service Clerks sits at the 89th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
51% mean task exposure (2025)
89th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−11 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Tellers and Related Clerks · 4211 | 58% | Gradient 3 |
| Mail Carriers and Sorting Clerks · 4412 | 41% | Gradient 2 |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders. Supplemental · importance 4.7
- Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage. Core · importance 4.6
- Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions. Supplemental · importance 4.6
- Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing. Core · importance 4.5
- Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Complete forms regarding changes of address, or theft or loss of mail, or for special services such as registered or priority mail. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices. Core · importance 4.4
- Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail. Core · importance 4.3
- Respond to complaints regarding mail theft, delivery problems, and lost or damaged mail, filling out forms and making appropriate referrals for investigation. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes. Core · importance 4.3
- Provide assistance to the public in complying with federal regulations of Postal Service and other federal agencies. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Transport mail from one work station to another. Core · importance 4.2
- Rent post office boxes to customers. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Provide customers with assistance in filing claims for mail theft, or lost or damaged mail. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Feed mail into postage canceling devices or hand stamp mail to cancel postage. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Cash money orders. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Order retail items and other supplies for office use. Supplemental · importance 3.7
- Post announcements or government information on public bulletin boards. Supplemental
- Set postage meters, and calibrate them to ensure correct operation. Supplemental
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Stock lobby with retail merchandise.
Work activities
- Maintain financial or account records.
- Weigh parcels to determine shipping costs.
- Calculate shipping costs.
- Obtain written authorization to perform activities.
- Arrange insurance coverage.
- Prepare outgoing mail.
- Sell products or services.
- Collect deposits, payments or fees.
- Verify shipping documentation.
- Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
- Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
- Assist individuals with paperwork.
- Sort mail.
- Execute sales or other financial transactions.
- Store items.
- Refer customers to appropriate personnel.
- Respond to customer problems or complaints.
- Receive shipments.
- Load materials or equipment.
- Deliver items.
- Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.9 | |
| Near Vision | 3.5 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.4 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.4 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.4 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.1 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.1 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Trunk Strength | 3.1 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.0 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Number Facility | 3.0 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.0 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.0 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.0 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.0 | |
| Written Expression | 2.9 | |
| Far Vision | 2.9 |
Knowledge
Essential skills
| Active Listening | 3.4 | |
| Speaking | 3.3 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | |
| Writing | 2.9 |
Transferable skills
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 67.6% | |
| Some College Courses | 17.9% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 7.8% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.8% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Conventional | 6.5 | |
| Realistic | 3.2 | |
| Enterprising | 2.7 | |
| Social | 2.6 |
Interest areas
| Office Work | 6.3 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 2.4 | |
| Sales | 2.3 | |
| Personal Service | 2.2 | |
| Accounting | 2.1 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 1.6 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 1.6 | |
| Information Technology | 1.5 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 2.5 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.4 | |
| Integrity | 2.0 | |
| Cooperation | 1.6 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $42,600 |
| 25th percentile | $55,410 |
| Median (50th) | $61,630 |
| 75th percentile | $74,050 |
| 90th percentile | $74,050 |
| People employed | 78,060 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 78,060 | $61,630 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 20.86× | 78,060 |
Related occupations
Part of the Public Service & Safety career cluster.
- Postal Service Mail Carriers · 43-5052.00 Compare →
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service · 43-9051.00 Compare →
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks · 43-5071.00 Compare →
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators · 43-5053.00 Compare →
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents · 11-9131.00 Compare →
- Couriers and Messengers · 43-5021.00 Compare →
- Order Clerks · 43-4151.00 Compare →
- Cargo and Freight Agents · 43-5011.00 Compare →
- Stockers and Order Fillers · 53-7065.00 Compare →
- Office Clerks, General · 43-9061.00 Compare →
- Freight Forwarders · 43-5011.01 Compare →
- Billing and Posting Clerks · 43-3021.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Postal Service Clerks — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- No formal educational credential · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 89th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Postal Service Clerks show 50th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 6,100 annual U.S. openings
- Postal Service Clerks rank in the 50th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 6,100 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.5%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $61,630, across about 78,060 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Postal Service Clerks show 50th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 6,100 annual U.S. openings • Postal Service Clerks rank in the 50th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 6,100 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.5%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $61,630, across about 78,060 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Postal Service Clerks". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-5051-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Postal Service Clerks." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-5051-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Postal Service Clerks. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-5051-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-43-5051-00,
title = {Postal Service Clerks},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-5051-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.