Billing and Posting Clerks

Compile, compute, and record billing, accounting, statistical, and other numerical data for billing purposes. Prepare billing invoices for services rendered or for delivery or shipment of goods.

The occupation "Billing and Posting Clerks" has an automation risk of 79.6%, reflecting a significant likelihood that many of its core duties could be replaced by automated technologies in the near future. This risk closely aligns with the base risk of 80.4%, indicating that a large portion of the work is susceptible to automation. The main reason for this high risk is that much of the job involves routine, repetitive tasks that are well-suited for software automation or artificial intelligence. Tasks such as operating typing, adding, calculating, or billing machines can be efficiently performed by automated systems with minimal error and at greater speed than human clerks. Similarly, verifying the accuracy of billing data and revising errors can be handled by specialized software that cross-checks entries against databases, while resolving discrepancies in accounting records is increasingly managed by advanced algorithms and auditing tools. Despite the prevalence of automatable tasks, there are certain duties within the billing and posting clerks’ role that remain more resistant to automation. For instance, returning checks to customers or retrieving checks sent in error often requires nuanced judgment and personalized communication, especially when accounting for customer inquiries or unique scenarios. General administrative responsibilities, such as answering telephones, scheduling appointments, and ordering supplies or equipment, also demand adaptability and interpersonal skills that are difficult to replicate with current automation technologies. Additionally, creating complex billing documents, shipping labels, or specialized forms still often requires some human oversight, customization, and an understanding of specific client needs or business rules. A significant contributor to the remaining resistance to automation lies in the bottleneck skills associated with this occupation, chiefly originality. However, the measured presence of this skill is quite low, with levels at only 2.0% and 1.8%. This suggests that while some tasks call for minimal creative problem-solving or the ability to handle new and unique situations, originality is not a dominant requirement for most of the work. As automation technologies improve, even these resistant tasks could face increasing pressure, particularly if advances are made in natural language processing, adaptive decision-making, and customer service AI. Nonetheless, the relatively low need for originality in the job means that "Billing and Posting Clerks" remain largely vulnerable to automation, justifying the reported risk level.