Will AI replace Postal Service Clerks?
Estimated risk score: 53 out of 100
Moderate replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (34 to 72).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 21 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 43-5051.00 · Office and Administrative Support
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 9 of its 21 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Answer questions regarding mail regulations and procedures, postage rates, and post office boxes.
- Complete forms regarding changes of address, or theft or loss of mail, or for special services such as registered or priority mail.
- Keep money drawers in order, and record and balance daily transactions.
- Order retail items and other supplies for office use.
- Register, certify, and insure letters and parcels.
- Rent post office boxes to customers.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 8 of its 21 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Obtain signatures from recipients of registered or special delivery mail.
- Transport mail from one work station to another.
- Cash money orders.
- Feed mail into postage canceling devices or hand stamp mail to cancel postage.
- Receive letters and parcels, and place mail into bags.
- Put undelivered parcels away, retrieve them when customers come to claim them, and complete any related documentation.
What the job is
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.
Also called: Sales and Service Associate (SSA), SSA, PTF Clerk, Bulk Clerk, Dock Clerk, Mail Agent, Stamp Clerk, Annuitant HCA.
Closest jobs we score by hand
In the same field (Office and Administrative Support). Different jobs, each scored by a person.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate