Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service

Prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution. Time-stamp, open, read, sort, and route incoming mail; and address, seal, stamp, fold, stuff, and affix postage to outgoing mail or packages. Duties may also include keeping necessary records and completed forms.

The occupation "Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service" faces an automation risk of 58.1%, slightly lower than its base risk of 58.7%. This notable risk level reflects the fact that a significant portion of the job involves repetitive and predictable tasks that can be easily handled by machines or automated systems. Technological advancements in sorting, addressing, and package handling have made it increasingly feasible to automate many of the duties traditionally performed by mail clerks and machine operators. In particular, processes that require consistency, accuracy, and speed—traits in which machines excel—are especially susceptible to automation. As businesses continue to adopt cost-saving measures and streamline logistics, the impetus for automating these roles grows, further increasing the risk for workers in this occupation. The most automatable tasks within this occupation include wrapping packages or bundles using hand or tying machines, verifying that items are correctly addressed and marked with proper postage, and removing containers of sorted mail or parcels for transfer to designated areas. Each of these tasks follows a set sequence and seldom requires complex decision-making, making them ideal candidates for automation by robotic systems or specialized machinery. Automated conveyor belts, barcode scanners, and advanced sorting robotics can now routinely perform these actions faster and with fewer errors than manual labor. The predictability and physical nature of these activities accelerate their replacement by technology, which amplifies the overall automation risk for the occupation as a whole. On the other hand, there remain several tasks within the occupation that are more resistant to automation, primarily due to their need for nuanced human judgment or fine motor skills. For example, folding letters or circulars and inserting them in envelopes might seem simple, but variability in paper texture and precise alignment requirements can challenge even advanced robots. Tasks such as adding ink, filling paste reservoirs, and changing machine ribbons require routine maintenance that may not be easily handled by automated equipment, particularly in environments with diverse and aging machinery. Stamping dates and times of receipt on incoming mail also involves an element of judgment and coordination that is less straightforward to automate. Bottleneck skills like Originality, which is scored at a low 2.0%, indicate that while creativity is not a major requirement, it is still present in small but essential ways that help shield certain activities from full automation. Nonetheless, as technology continues to improve, even these more resistant tasks may eventually face increasing automation pressures.