# Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

> Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Time-stamp, open, read, sort, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, stamp, fold, stuff, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.

- **SOC code:** 43-9051.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-9051-00
- **Also known as:** Mail Clerk, Mail Handler, Mail Machine Operator, Postal Clerk, Insert Operator, Inserter Operator, Mail Processor, Mail Reader
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines.
- Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts.
- Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing.
- Inspect mail machine output for defects and determine how to eliminate causes of any defects.
- Remove containers of sorted mail or parcels and transfer them to designated areas according to established procedures.
- Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary.
- Remove from machines printed materials, such as labeled articles, postmarked envelopes or tape, and folded sheets.
- Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters.
- Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities.
- Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification.
- Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes.
- Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- Category Flexibility _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Finger Dexterity _(ability)_
- Speech Recognition _(ability)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- 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)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe Acrobat _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Email software
- Financial accounting software
- Postal Explorer
- Recordkeeping software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 26th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 25th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 34th percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 24th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 86th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** yes — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -6.6% growth (Declining); 6.9k annual openings; 67.4k → 62.9k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $38,150; 62,730 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-9051-00_