Career Explorer Office and admin
Human edge, steady
Postal service clerks
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.
Among the careers AI is changing fastest: more resilient than 19% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by -0.3% by 2035, expected to shrink.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $62,130
- Job growth to 2035
- -0.3%
- Openings a year
- 5,300
- People doing it (2025)
- 70,900
- Usual route in
- No formal credential, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- Assist individuals with paperwork
- Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Process shipments or mail
- Sell products or services
- Sort materials or products
What the work looks like
- Sell and collect payment for products such as stamps, prepaid mail envelopes, and money orders.
- Weigh letters and parcels, compute mailing costs based on type, weight, and destination, and affix correct postage.
- Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions.
- Check mail to ensure correct postage and that packages and letters are in proper condition for mailing.
- Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeepingHuman edge, steady, Index 30, -4.8%
- Parking attendantsHuman edge, steady, Index 58, +2.0%
- Gambling dealersHuman edge, steady, Index 44, +3.4%
- Couriers and messengersHuman edge, growing, Index 66, +8.0%
Also known as: 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.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.