Will AI replace new accounts clerks?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The breakdown: 19m done by people with AI help, 2h that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 5h 41m (71%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 6.5% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 15 tasks, about 19m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Process loan applications. (19m a shift, people use AI to help)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 3 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h of a typical shift. 1 more task has only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so it stays with people here.

• Perform teller duties as required. (1h 16m a shift; e.g. Cash recycling ATMs (NCR Atleos), in use)
• Collect and record customer deposits and fees and issue receipts, using computers. (38m a shift; e.g. Chase deposit-automation ATMs, in use)
• Perform foreign currency transactions and sell traveler's checks. (6m a shift; e.g. Travelex automated FX kiosk (Heathrow T2), in use)

5h 41m of a typical shift, or 71%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Compile information about new accounts, enter account information into computers, and file related forms or other documents. (1h 28m a shift)
• Answer customers' questions and explain available services, such as deposit accounts, bonds, and securities. (1h 3m a shift)
• Interview customers to obtain information needed for opening accounts or renting safe-deposit boxes. (1h 3m a shift)
• Inform customers of procedures for applying for services, such as ATM cards, direct deposit of checks, and certificates of deposit. (38m a shift)
• Investigate and correct errors upon customers' request, according to customer and bank records. (32m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 89% are in constant contact with other people
• 79% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 65% work at arm's length or closer to other people

On Indeed, job postings in the Customer Service sector are at 87% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 1.5% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 2,300 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $47,670 a year ($22.92 an hour), 6% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $38,180 and $60,910 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 6.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 36,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 2,300 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 37,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.02% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 437th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 36,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 46% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Persuasion
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 41m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Word
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Tellers (4h 21m touched, $43k median pay)
• Brokerage Clerks (2h touched, $66k median pay)
• Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks (1h 22m touched, $50k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 3 with robots in real deployments, 11 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.