Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

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.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.2), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

Most of this job's tasks can be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman), which tends to track with higher digital and AI exposure.

Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“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 occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

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 29 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines. Core · importance 4.5
• Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts. Supplemental · importance 4.3
• Inspect mail machine output for defects and determine how to eliminate causes of any defects. Supplemental · importance 4.3
• Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing. Core · importance 4.3
• Remove containers of sorted mail or parcels and transfer them to designated areas according to established procedures. Core · importance 4.3
• Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary. Core · importance 4.2
• Remove from machines printed materials, such as labeled articles, postmarked envelopes or tape, and folded sheets. Supplemental · importance 4.2
• Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters. Core · importance 4.2
• Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities. Core · importance 4.2
• Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification. Supplemental · importance 4.2
• Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes. Supplemental · importance 4.1
• Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors. Core · importance 4.1
• Answer inquiries regarding shipping or mailing policies. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Lift and unload containers of mail or parcels onto equipment for transportation to sortation stations. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Contact delivery or courier services to arrange delivery of letters and parcels. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Place incoming or outgoing letters or packages into sacks or bins based on destination or type, and place identifying tags on sacks or bins. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Adjust guides, rollers, loose card inserters, weighing machines, and tying arms, using rules and hand tools. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Clear jams in sortation equipment. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Mail merchandise samples or promotional literature in response to requests. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Read production orders to determine types and sizes of items scheduled for printing and mailing. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Seal or open envelopes, by hand or by using machines. Core · importance 3.9
• Sell mail products, and accept payment for products and mailing charges. Supplemental · importance 3.9
• Start machines that automatically feed plates, stencils, or tapes through mechanisms, and observe machine operations to detect any malfunctions. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Stamp dates and times of receipt of incoming mail. Supplemental · importance 3.5
• Add ink, fill paste reservoirs, and change machine ribbons when necessary. Supplemental · importance 3.3
• Fold letters or circulars and insert them in envelopes. Supplemental · importance 3.1
• Insert material for printing or addressing into loading racks on machines, select type or die sizes, and position plates, stencils, or tapes in machine magazines. Supplemental
• Operate embossing machines or typewriters to make corrections, additions, and changes to address plates. Supplemental
• Use equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains," to move containers of mail. Supplemental

Work activities

• Prepare outgoing mail.
• Verify shipping documentation.
• Attach identification information to products, items or containers.
• Sort mail.
• Maintain office equipment in proper operating condition.
• Route mail to correct destinations.
• Weigh parcels to determine shipping costs.
• Analyze shipping information to make routing decisions.
• Unload materials or equipment.
• Package objects for shipping.
• Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
• Read work orders to determine material or setup requirements.
• Send information, materials or documentation.
• Inspect items for damage or defects.
• Coordinate shipping activities with external parties.
• Operate computers or computerized equipment.
• Adjust office equipment to ensure proper operation.
• Receive shipments.
• Obtain written authorization to perform activities.
• Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
• Sell products or services.
• Collect deposits, payments or fees.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Abilities

Essential skills

Transferable skills

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• Microsoft Outlook Common Skill
• Microsoft Excel Common Skill
• English Language Common Skill
• Speech Recognition Specialized Skill
• Information Ordering Specialized Skill
• Finger Dexterity Common Skill
• Time Management Common Skill
• Reading Comprehension Common Skill
• Microsoft Word Common Skill
• Microsoft Windows Common Skill
• Microsoft PowerPoint Common Skill
• Microsoft Access Specialized Skill
• Deductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Critical Thinking Common Skill
• Adobe Acrobat Specialized Skill
• Mathematics Common Skill
• Writing Common Skill
• Inductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Active Listening Common Skill
• Social Perceptiveness Common Skill
• Visualization Specialized Skill
• Complex Problem Solving Common Skill
• Active Learning Common Skill
• Systems Analysis Specialized Skill
• Learning Strategies Specialized Skill
• Depth Perception Common Skill
• Instructing Specialized Skill
• Email Software Specialized Skill
• Equipment Maintenance Specialized Skill
• Negotiation Common Skill
• Telecommunications Specialized Skill
• Foreign Language Common Skill
• Equipment Selection Specialized Skill
• Psychology Specialized Skill
• Geography Specialized Skill
• Physics Specialized Skill
• Chemistry Specialized Skill
• Biology Specialized Skill
• Presentation Software Specialized Skill
• Installation Specialized Skill

Showing the top 40 of 41.

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

High school diploma or equivalent · 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.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

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.

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).

Related occupations

Part of the Management & Entrepreneurship career cluster.

• Postal Service Clerks · 43-5051.00 Compare →
• Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators · 43-5053.00 Compare →
• Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks · 43-5071.00 Compare →
• Postal Service Mail Carriers · 43-5052.00 Compare →
• Couriers and Messengers · 43-5021.00 Compare →
• Data Entry Keyers · 43-9021.00 Compare →
• Stockers and Order Fillers · 53-7065.00 Compare →
• Office Machine Operators, Except Computer · 43-9071.00 Compare →
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand · 53-7062.00 Compare →
• Order Clerks · 43-4151.00 Compare →
• Office Clerks, General · 43-9061.00 Compare →
• File Clerks · 43-4071.00 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 Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

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
• 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.

@misc{singulariki-role-43-9051-00,
  title  = {Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; 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-43-9051-00}
}