Postal Service Clerks
Machines can already do 26% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 64%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Postal Service Clerks in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 26% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 64% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 73,720 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $62,130 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 82% for contact with people.
- Also called: Bulk Mail Technician, Clerk, Distribution Clerk, Part Time Flexible Clerk (PTF Clerk).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage | 16% | 20% to 60% | |
| Sort incoming and outgoing mail, according to type and destination, by hand or by operating electronic mail-sorting and scanning devices | 16% | 20% to 60% | |
| Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders | 16% | 30% to 75% | |
| Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes | 8% | 40% to 68% | |
| Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing | 5% | 20% to 60% | |
| Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags | 5% | 20% to 60% | |
| Transport mail from one work station to another | 4% | 30% to 75% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills postal service clerks use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Pest Control Workers54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,250
- Postal Service Mail Carriers63% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,550
- Transportation Security Screeners49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $66,770
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators62% of tasks by 2035 · US median $58,470
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Postal Service Clerks?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of postal service clerks?
Machines can do 26% of the tasks of postal service clerks today and 64% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-5051.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Postal Service Clerks: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/postal-service-clerks/