AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 43-9051.00

Will AI replace Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service?

Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service: AI can already handle 25 of 26 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 26 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service, from most to least exposed. 25 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Remove containers of sorted mail or parcels and transfer them to designated areas according to established procedures. 90 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary. 90 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Remove from machines printed materials, such as labeled articles, postmarked envelopes or tape, and folded sheets. 90 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Lift and unload containers of mail or parcels onto equipment for transportation to sortation stations. 90 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Clear jams in sortation equipment. 90 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing. 80 Estimated Standard 4.3
Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts. 75 Estimated Standard 4.3
Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities. 75 Estimated Standard 4.2
Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes. 75 Estimated Standard 4.1
Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Answer inquiries regarding shipping or mailing policies. 75 Estimated Standard 4.0
Contact delivery or courier services to arrange delivery of letters and parcels. 75 Estimated Frontier 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. 75 Estimated Standard 3.9
Mail merchandise samples or promotional literature in response to requests. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Adjust guides, rollers, loose card inserters, weighing machines, and tying arms, using rules and hand tools. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Read production orders to determine types and sizes of items scheduled for printing and mailing. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Seal or open envelopes, by hand or by using machines. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Sell mail products, and accept payment for products and mailing charges. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.9
Start machines that automatically feed plates, stencils, or tapes through mechanisms, and observe machine operations to detect any malfunctions. 75 Estimated Standard 3.7
Stamp dates and times of receipt of incoming mail. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Add ink, fill paste reservoirs, and change machine ribbons when necessary. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Fold letters or circulars and insert them in envelopes. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.1
Inspect mail machine output for defects and determine how to eliminate causes of any defects. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 26 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 26 of 26. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 92% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
55,230
Median annual wage
$39,280
Middle half of earners
$35,470 to $46,450
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-6.6%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service and AI

Will AI replace Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service?

AI already handles 25 of the 26 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 76 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -6.6% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service?

76 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 26 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 26 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: 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. They are three of the 25 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 92% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service, and what do they earn?

55,230 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $39,280 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -6.6% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/mail-clerks-and-mail-machine-operators-except-postal-service

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