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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service?
Task-level automation exposure for Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service: 29 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
31%
weighted task index
29 of 29 tasks scored
Median Salary
$39,280 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Medium
55,230 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
-7.2%
employment change
4,700 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 51 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$23,560 – $49,240
Highest medians
District of Columbia $49,240
Massachusetts $48,860
Washington $46,380
Vermont $45,380
Utah $45,150
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $23,560
Wyoming $32,940
Mississippi $34,350
Louisiana $34,860
West Virginia $35,140
State figures come from the 43-9051 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 31%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 36%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 23%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 21%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 23/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
29 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 18%
5 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 13%
4 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 69%
20 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#13267 · Core · 4% automatable
Lift and unload containers of mail or parcels onto equipment for transportation to sortation stations.
physical manipulation — Physical unloading of materials and equipment
Unload materials or equipment.
#13261 · Core · 80% automatable
Verify that items are addressed correctly, marked with the proper postage, and in suitable condition for processing.
information retrieval — Cross-checks shipping docs against records and rules
Verify shipping documentation.
#13263 · Core · 12% automatable
Clear jams in sortation equipment.
physical manipulation — Physical office equipment servicing
Maintain office equipment in proper operating condition.
#13262 · Core · 12% automatable
Place incoming or outgoing letters or packages into sacks or bins based on destination or type, and place identifying tags on sacks or bins.
physical manipulation — Attaching tags to containers is physical
Attach identification information to products, items or containers. Sort mail.
#13283 · Core · 50% automatable
Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification.
information retrieval — Drafting aided; authorized signature human
Obtain written authorization to perform activities.
#13276 · Core · 4% automatable
Remove containers of sorted mail or parcels and transfer them to designated areas according to established procedures.
physical manipulation — Physical unloading of materials and equipment
Unload materials or equipment.
#13266 · Core · 75% automatable
Determine manner in which mail is to be sent, and prepare it for delivery to mailing facilities.
data analysis — Routing analysis from shipping data; human approves
Analyze shipping information to make routing decisions.
#13264 · Core · 19% automatable
Sort and route incoming mail, and collect outgoing mail, using carts as necessary.
physical manipulation — Routing physical mail requires sorting by hand
Sort mail. Route mail to correct destinations.
#13265 · Core · 30% automatable
Weigh packages or letters to determine postage needed, using weighing scales and rate charts.
physical manipulation — Physical weighing of parcels on scale
Weigh parcels to determine shipping costs.
#13269 · Core · 5% automatable
Fold letters or circulars and insert them in envelopes.
physical manipulation — Manual packing for shipping
Package objects for shipping.
#13259 · Core · 30% automatable
Seal or open envelopes, by hand or by using machines.
physical manipulation — Preparing physical mail requires hands-on assembly
Prepare outgoing mail.
#13282 · Core · 20% automatable
Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors.
physical manipulation — Receiving shipments is physical handling and inspection
Receive shipments.
#13271 · Core · 12% automatable
Add ink, fill paste reservoirs, and change machine ribbons when necessary.
physical manipulation — Physical office equipment servicing
Maintain office equipment in proper operating condition.
#13260 · Core · 30% automatable
Affix postage to packages or letters by hand, or stamp materials, using postage meters.
physical manipulation — Preparing physical mail requires hands-on assembly
Prepare outgoing mail.
#13284 · Core · 62% automatable
Answer inquiries regarding shipping or mailing policies.
information retrieval — AI explains policies; human handles live questions
Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
#13277 · Core · 50% automatable
Contact delivery or courier services to arrange delivery of letters and parcels.
decision support — AI drafts shipping coordination; external negotiation human
Coordinate shipping activities with external parties.
#13275 · Core · 25% automatable
Inspect mail machine output for defects and determine how to eliminate causes of any defects.
visual inspection — Defect inspection of physical items needs presence
Inspect items for damage or defects.
#13273 · Supplemental · 78% automatable
Read production orders to determine types and sizes of items scheduled for printing and mailing.
information retrieval — Extract material requirements from work orders
Read work orders to determine material or setup requirements.
#13281 · Supplemental · 12% automatable
Adjust guides, rollers, loose card inserters, weighing machines, and tying arms, using rules and hand tools.
physical manipulation — Hands-on adjustment of physical office equipment
Adjust office equipment to ensure proper operation.
#13272 · Supplemental · 42% automatable
Start machines that automatically feed plates, stencils, or tapes through mechanisms, and observe machine operations to detect any malfunctions.
visual inspection — Sensor/vision monitoring possible, but physical verification and accountability remain human
Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
#13279 · Supplemental · 12% automatable
Stamp dates and times of receipt of incoming mail.
physical manipulation — Sorting physical mail requires hands-on handling
Sort mail.
#13270 · Supplemental · 4% automatable
Remove from machines printed materials, such as labeled articles, postmarked envelopes or tape, and folded sheets.
physical manipulation — Physical unloading of materials and equipment
Unload materials or equipment.
#13280 · Supplemental · 30% automatable
Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes.
physical manipulation — Operating computers is physical interface work
Operate computers or computerized equipment.
#13268 · Supplemental · 5% automatable
Wrap packages or bundles by hand, or by using tying machines.
physical manipulation — Manual packing for shipping
Package objects for shipping.
#13286 · Supplemental · 34% automatable
Sell mail products, and accept payment for products and mailing charges.
physical manipulation — Handling cash/payment collection in person
Sell products or services. Collect deposits, payments or fees.
#13287 · Supplemental · 55% automatable
Operate embossing machines or typewriters to make corrections, additions, and changes to address plates.
text generation — Typing documents is core AI text output
Operate office equipment. Type documents. Perform administrative or clerical tasks.
#13274 · Supplemental · 75% automatable
Mail merchandise samples or promotional literature in response to requests.
text generation — Sending digital materials automatable; physical mailing human
Send information, materials or documentation.
#13278 · Supplemental · 7% automatable
Insert material for printing or addressing into loading racks on machines, select type or die sizes, and position plates, stencils, or tapes in machine magazines.
physical manipulation — Developing and print equipment operated by hand
Load materials into equipment for processing. Install equipment attachments or components. Set up production or processing equipment. Operate photographic developing or print production equipment.
#13285 · Supplemental · 9% automatable
Use equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains," to move containers of mail.
situated mobility — Driving forklifts requires real-world navigation and control
Operate equipment or vehicles to clear construction sites or move materials. Operate forklifts or other loaders.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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