Postal Service Mail Carriers
Office and Administrative Support Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 43-5052.00
Sort and deliver mail for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot. Includes postal service mail carriers employed by USPS contractors.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.41
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 20 hidden tasks22 rated tasks · 6 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (27.3%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Answer customers' questions about postal services and regulations.43-5052.00 | 0.0019100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Record address changes and redirect mail for those addresses.O*NET Task ID 11347 | 1.0 |
Maintain accurate records of deliveries.O*NET Task ID 11353 | 1.0 |
Answer customers' questions about postal services and regulations.O*NET Task ID 11354 | 1.0 |
Enter change of address orders into computers that process forwarding address stickers.O*NET Task ID 11359 | 1.0 |
Complete forms that notify publishers of address changes.O*NET Task ID 11360 | 1.0 |
Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt.O*NET Task ID 20906 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (21)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork. | Core |
| Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence. | Core |
| Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks. | Core |
| Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes. | Core |
| Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes. | Core |
| Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office. | Core |
| Record address changes and redirect mail for those addresses. | Core |
| Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations. | Core |
| Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes. | Core |
| Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered. | Core |
| Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail. | Core |
| Return incorrectly addressed mail to senders. | Core |
| Maintain accurate records of deliveries. | Core |
| Answer customers' questions about postal services and regulations. | Core |
| Provide customers with change of address cards and other forms. | Core |
| Report any unusual circumstances concerning mail delivery, including the condition of street letter boxes. | Core |
| Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt. | Core |
| Register, certify, and insure parcels and letters. | Supplemental |
| Travel to post offices to pick up the mail for routes or pick up mail from postal relay boxes. | Supplemental |
| Complete forms that notify publishers of address changes. | Supplemental |
| Sell stamps and money orders. | Supplemental |
1.14/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Obtain signed receipts for registered, certified, and insured mail, collect associated charges, and complete any necessary paperwork. | E2 structured facilities |
| Sort mail for delivery, arranging it in delivery sequence. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Deliver mail to residences and business establishments along specified routes by walking or driving, using a combination of satchels, carts, cars, and small trucks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Return to the post office with mail collected from homes, businesses, and public mailboxes. | E3 unstructured settings |
| Turn in money and receipts collected along mail routes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Sign for cash-on-delivery and registered mail before leaving the post office. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Record address changes and redirect mail for those addresses. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Hold mail for customers who are away from delivery locations. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Bundle mail in preparation for delivery or transportation to relay boxes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Leave notices telling patrons where to collect mail that could not be delivered. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Meet schedules for the collection and return of mail. | E2 structured facilities |
| Return incorrectly addressed mail to senders. | E0 none |
| Provide customers with change of address cards and other forms. | E2 structured facilities |
| Scan labels on letters or parcels to confirm receipt. | E2 structured facilities |
| Register, certify, and insure parcels and letters. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Travel to post offices to pick up the mail for routes or pick up mail from postal relay boxes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Sell stamps and money orders. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 316K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 316K
- Change (2025–35)
- -0.3%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $60,550
- Typical education needed for entry
- No formal educational credential
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92210 | 우편집배원 | Same scope | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 4412Mail Carriers and Sorting Clerks
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Mail carriers and sorting clerks perform sorting, recording, delivery and other duties in connection with mail services from post offices or related organizations, as well as from or within an establishment.
Tasks
- (a) performing mail-handling duties in public post offices or privately owned delivery establishments;
- (b) sorting and delivering mail to private houses and businesses;
- (c) providing delivery confirmation records when requested by the client;
- (d) sorting and keeping simple records of incoming and outgoing correspondence and dispatching outgoing mail in various establishments;
Example occupations
Mail clerk · Post carrier · Postman/woman
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- postman/postwomanESCO 4412.2Same scope
Postmen/Postwomen deliver mails and parcel posts to residences and businesses. They perform mail delivery and collect signatures from the recipients. They perform other duties in connection with mail services from post offices or related organisations.
- bicycle courierESCO 9331.1Overlapping, not the same
Bicycle couriers collect and deliver packages and mail by bicycle.
- mail clerkESCO 4412.1Overlapping, not the same
Mail clerks perform mail handling, sorting, recording and other duties in connection with mail services from post offices or related organisations. They keep records of the incoming and outgoing packages and letters in the establishment.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| M1603 | Facteur / Factrice | Same scopeprovisional |
| N4104 | Coursier / Coursière | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 4221 | Empleados de servicios de correos (excepto empleados de mostrador) | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 51322 | Berufe für Post- und Zustelldienste - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 701 | 郵便・電報外務員 | Same scope |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources