Billing and Posting Clerks
In short: today's best AI models could do about 85% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 15% of the time, stays with people.
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.
404,060 people do this job in the US. $48,500 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on2 h
- A person checks AI's work32 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people6 h
Billing and Posting Clerks, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 2 hours, 32 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 6 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Compile cost reports (about 12 h, a person checks); Post costs and shipments (about 4 h, a person checks); Set rates from cost data (about 3 h, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 40%
- 45%
- 7%
- 0%
- 7%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 85% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 5%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 59%. Today's estimate: 85%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.021% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 297th largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 2 of its 26 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.029% to 0.027% (released February and March 2025); 0.018% to 0.083% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.023% to 0.021% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.029% | 373 of 708 | 6 of 26 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.027% | 378 of 703 | 6 of 26 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.018% | 378 of 655 | 6 of 26 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.049% | 239 of 672 | 8 of 26 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.083% | 187 of 677 | 10 of 26 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.023% | 291 of 434 | 2 of 26 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.021% | 297 of 447 | 2 of 26 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 9% of this job's working time as physical work. For 8% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 7% in a purpose-built cell, 1% in a structured facility. 0.09 of 3, the 527th highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 91%
- No robot shown 1%
- In a purpose-built cell 7%
- In a structured facility 1%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
13% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Handle phones, appointments and supplies, the conversation, 3%
- Send out statements, the hands-on work, 2%
- Answer rate and routing questions, the conversation, 2%
- Contact customers about accounts, the conversation, 2%
- Clear jams and call for repairs, the hands-on work, 2%
- Keep an eye on the machines, the hands-on work, 1%
What becomes checking the machine
81% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 4% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Compile cost reports, costly if wrong, 30%
- Post costs and shipments, costly if wrong, 9%
- Set rates from cost data, costly if wrong, 9%
- Run billing and calculating machines, costly if wrong, 6%
- Check and correct billing data, costly if wrong, 5%
- Resolve accounting discrepancies, costly if wrong, 4%
What to learn
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
- Running AI inside the business systems. About 45% of the time is work inside business systems, which a model can do only once it is connected: knowing the systems well enough to set that up and watch it.
- Briefing a model and checking its drafts. About 40% of the time is documents and data, the part models reach first: writing a clear brief, giving the right material, and checking what comes back.
- Handling protected records. Much of the work touches protected personal records: knowing what may be shared with a model, and how, is part of the job.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 26 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compile reports of cost factors, such as labor, production, storage, and equipment.Pulling the cost figures and writing the report.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 30% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Documents 70%, systems 30% | 99%Half by now |
| Perform bookkeeping work, including posting data or keeping other records concerning costs of goods or services or the shipment of goods.Entries in the books.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 38 min13 min to 2.5 h | Systems 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Review compiled data on operating costs and revenues to set rates.Reading costs and revenue and working out the rates.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Documents 100% | 99%Half by now |
| Operate typing, adding, calculating, or billing machines.Keying on the billing machines.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Systems 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Perform general administrative tasks, such as answering telephones, scheduling appointments, and ordering supplies or equipment.Calls, bookings and supply orders.Done several times a day by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 6% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Systems 50%, conversation 50% | 50%Desk part half by now |
| Verify accuracy of billing data and revise any errors.Reading the billing data for errors and fixing them in the system.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Documents 50%, systems 50% | 100%Half by now |
| Resolve discrepancies in accounting records.Finding where the records disagree and correcting them.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Documents 50%, systems 50% | 100%Half by now |
| Keep records of invoices and support documents.Filing the invoices and backup, mostly in the system.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Systems 80%, hands-on 20% | 80%Desk part half by now |
| Prepare itemized statements, bills, or invoices and record amounts due for items purchased or services rendered.Building each invoice in the billing system from the sale or service records.Done several times a day by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 3% | 21 min8 min to 1.3 h | Systems 80%, documents 20% | 100%Half by now |
| Create billing documents, shipping labels, credit memorandums, or credit forms.Generating the documents from the billing system.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Systems 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Route statements for mailing or over-the-counter delivery to customers.Sorting statements for the mail or the counter.Done more than monthly by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Quadient DS-1200 G5iQ folder inserter (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Hands-on 70%, systems 30% | 30%Desk part half by now |
| Compute credit terms, discounts, shipment charges, or rates for goods or services to complete billing documents.Working out the charges and entering them on the bill.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 17 min4 min to 1.1 h | Documents 50%, systems 50% | 100%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks88% now, 90% by 2028
- Customer Service Representatives64% now, 64% by 2028
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks86% now, 86% by 2028
- Office Clerks, General56% now, 56% by 2028
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks86% now, 86% by 2028
- Brokerage Clerks67% now, 67% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Billing and Posting Clerks is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 85% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 85% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Billing and Posting Clerks come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Compile cost reports (99% of the task's time now); Post costs and shipments (100% of the task's time now); and Set rates from cost data (99% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Billing and Posting Clerks stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Answer rate and routing questions; Contact customers about accounts; and Clear jams and call for repairs. Together such tasks are about 8% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Billing and Posting Clerks learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are reviewing work you did not do yourself; running AI inside the business systems; and briefing a model and checking its drafts. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 13% of the working time stays with people, 81% becomes checking a model's work and 4% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Billing and Posting Clerks?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.021% went to this job's tasks, the 297th largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 2 of its 26 tasks appeared. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 19%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Billing and Posting Clerks?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 9% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 8% of the working time, 1% in a structured facility. Its index is 0.09 of 3. One example: Quadient iA-9 / iX-9 high-volume mailing system (mixed-mail feeder + dynamic scale) for "weigh and stamp envelopes". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 26 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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