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How exposed to AI is a Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operator?

Of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators, 1 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 13 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Automation ClerkComputer Forwarding System Markup Clerk (CFS Markup Clerk)Distribution ClerkFlat Sorting Machine Clerk (FSM Clerk)Mail HandlerMail Handler Equipment OperatorMail Processing ClerkMail ProcessorParcel Post Distribution Machine Operator (PDPMO)Small Package and Bundle Sorter Clerk (SPBS Clerk)
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
17
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 28
112k
people do this job in the US
50 of 51
least protected in office and admin

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

1
  • Direct items according to established routing schemes, using computer-controlled keyboards or voice-recognition equipment

Only with software built on top

3
  • Check items to ensure that addresses are legible and correct, that sufficient postage has been paid or the appropriate documentation is attached, and that items are in a suitable condition for processing
  • Distribute incoming mail into the correct boxes or pigeonholes
  • Search directories to find correct addresses for redirected mail

Cannot be sped up

13
  • Clear jams in sorting equipment
  • Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters
  • Sort odd-sized mail by hand, sort mail that other workers have been unable to sort, and segregate items requiring special handling
  • Bundle, label, and route sorted mail to designated areas, depending on destinations and according to established procedures and deadlines
  • Move containers of mail, using equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains"
  • Open and label mail containers
  • Load and unload mail trucks, sometimes lifting containers of mail onto equipment that transports items to sorting stations
  • Rewrap soiled or broken parcels
  • Train new workers
  • Dump sacks of mail onto conveyors for culling and sorting
  • Weigh articles to determine required postage
  • Cancel letter or parcel post stamps by hand
  • Accept and check containers of mail from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET 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. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.