Will mail clerks be replaced by AI?
Updated
Mail clerks score 25 of 100 for AI exposure. 58% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 6% today and speed up another 36%.
- 6% AI can do it
- 36% AI helps
- 58% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 71% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 26 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 9 and leaves 15 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Answer inquiries regarding shipping or mailing policies. Policy questions suit chatbots; in person edge cases need staff. | 70% AI can do it |
| Read production orders to determine types and sizes of items scheduled for printing and mailing. Extracting print job specs from orders is routine document work. | 62% AI can do it |
| Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities. Mail class and service choice follows rules AI can recommend. | 55% AI helps |
| Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes. Keying routing codes can be automated; staff verify physical items. | 55% AI helps |
| Contact delivery or courier services to arrange delivery of letters and parcels. AI can draft courier requests; phone coordination stays human. | 55% AI helps |
| Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing. Software can check addresses; physical condition checks stay human. | 45% AI helps |
| Sell mail products, and accept payment for products and mailing charges. Online sales automate easily; counter payments need staff. | 40% AI helps |
| Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts. Rate lookup is automatable; weighing packages stays physical. | 38% AI helps |
| Mail merchandise samples or promotional literature in response to requests. AI can draft replies and logs; packing samples stays physical. | 35% AI helps |
| Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors. Manifest and count checks are digital; physical receipt stays human. | 30% AI helps |
Show the other 16 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Inspect mail machine output for defects and determine how to eliminate causes of any defects. AI can help diagnose causes; visual defect inspection stays physical. | 28% AI helps |
| Stamp dates and times of receipt of incoming mail. Stamping paper mail is physical; digital timestamps are automatic. | 20% Needs a person |
| Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary. Physical sorting and cart pushing; AI only aids routing decisions. | 18% Needs a person |
| Remove from machines printed materials, such as labeled articles, postmarked envelopes or tape, and folded sheets. Removing printed pieces from machines is physical handling. | 15% Needs a person |
| Place incoming or outgoing letters or packages into sacks or bins based on destination or type, and place identifying tags on sacks or bins. Bin placement is physical; destination lookup is digital. | 15% Needs a person |
| Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters. Applying postage and stamping mail is physical handling. | 12% Needs a person |
| Start machines that automatically feed plates, stencils, or tapes through mechanisms, and observe machine operations to detect any malfunctions. Starting machines and spotting jams by sight is physical work. | 12% Needs a person |
| Fold letters or circulars and insert them in envelopes. Folding and inserting paper is repetitive physical handling. | 12% Needs a person |
| Remove containers of sorted mail or parcels and transfer them to designated areas according to established procedures. Moving heavy containers to areas is physical work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines. Hand wrapping and tying packages is physical work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Seal or open envelopes, by hand or by using machines. Opening and sealing envelopes is physical handling. | 8% Needs a person |
| Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification. Releasing items needs in person ID checks and accountability. | 8% Needs a person |
| Adjust guides, rollers, loose card inserters, weighing machines, and tying arms, using rules and hand tools. Mechanical adjustments with hand tools are physical skilled work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Lift and unload containers of mail or parcels onto equipment for transportation to sortation stations. Lifting and unloading heavy containers is physical labor. | 3% Needs a person |
| Clear jams in sortation equipment. Clearing jams needs hands and physical judgement on machines. | 3% Needs a person |
| Add ink, fill paste reservoirs, and change machine ribbons when necessary. Replacing ink and ribbons is physical machine maintenance. | 3% Needs a person |
How mail clerks compare
All occupations (923)
Office and administrative support (51)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $39,280 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 55,230 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -7.2% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Verify address and postage on outgoing mail batches
- Log mail dispatch records in Microsoft Access
- Build mailing reports and tracking sheets in Microsoft Excel
- Arrange courier pickups by phone with carrier accounts
- Clear sortation equipment jams and change machine ribbons
- Answer in person shipping policy exceptions at the counter
Safer roles nearby
3 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about mail clerks and AI
Will AI replace mail clerks?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly answering shipping policy inquiries and reading production orders for print specs. Handling physical mail stays with people, because lifting containers, clearing sortation jams and sealing envelopes all need hands on machines.
Which tasks will AI take over from mail clerks?
Chatbots can answer routine questions on shipping and mailing rules, a task that scores 70 on exposure. Reading production orders for item types and sizes scores 62, since pulling print specs from an order is routine document work. AI can also draft courier requests, though the phone coordination stays with the clerk.
Which tasks stay with mail clerks?
Lifting and unloading mail containers scores 3 on exposure, and clearing jams in sortation equipment also scores 3. Both need hands and physical judgement on machines. Sealing envelopes and wrapping packages manually score 8, because they are physical handling of the item.
How can mail clerks stay valuable?
Check the physical items that software misses, such as postage condition and damage. Build mailing logs and dispatch reports in Microsoft Excel and Access. Handle the in person policy exceptions that chatbots pass back to staff. Keep carrier phone contacts current and arrange courier pickups yourself.
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