If you feel like your job is on a chopping block you can’t see, you’re not imagining it. Automation, self-checkout, apps, and AI are changing work faster than most people can keep up. When you’re just trying to pay rent and keep the car running, reading about “the future of work” can feel like another thing to panic about.
The truth is messy. Big studies say up to a quarter of jobs will change in the next few years, with office support, customer service, and some food service roles hit hardest. That doesn’t mean all these jobs vanish overnight, it means fewer openings, more competition, and a lot of pressure on people who already feel squeezed.
The point here is not to scare you. It’s to be honest about which roles are most at risk over the next decade, so you can make plans while you still have options.
Here are 15 jobs that are shrinking fast or highly exposed to automation in the next 10 years, and what that means if you, your partner, or your kid depends on one of them.
Table of contents
- Cashiers and checkout clerks
- Bank tellers
- Data entry clerks and keyers
- General office, file, and order clerks
- Secretaries and administrative assistants (basic, not specialized)
- Telemarketers
- Basic customer service representatives
- Telephone and switchboard operators
- Postal clerks and mail sorters
- Word processors and typists
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll clerks
- Fast-food cooks and counter workers
- Packers and hand packagers in warehouses
- Print binding, prepress, and other print-shop jobs
- Basic computer programmers (not broader software developers)
- Discover job hunting tips, ways to earn more, and flexible working options:
Cashiers and checkout clerks
Every store you walk into has more machines and fewer people at the register. Self-checkout lanes, scan-and-go apps, online ordering, and digital wallets all mean fewer human cashiers per store. A major global jobs report lists cashiers and ticket clerks among the fastest-declining roles as shopping goes digital.
Official U.S. projections expect hundreds of thousands fewer cashier jobs by 2034, even though overall employment grows. Self-checkout is annoying enough that some stores are rethinking it, but the bigger trend is clear: more online orders, kiosks, and “grab and go,” fewer full-time checkout lanes.
If you’re a cashier now, you don’t have to be out of retail. Lean toward roles that machines can’t easily copy: customer-facing problem solver, department lead, inventory specialist, or curbside and online-order coordinator. Learn basic point-of-sale systems, inventory apps, and customer-service skills that transfer into other industries. Those skills travel much better than “I can stand at a register.”
Bank tellers
Most routine banking now happens on screens. People deposit checks by phone, transfer money in apps, and talk to chatbots instead of lining up at a branch. A major future-of-jobs study lists bank tellers among the roles expected to decline the fastest as digital banking takes over.
U.S. projections show tellers among the occupations with the largest job losses over the next decade, even though banks still make huge profits. Branches are closing, and the locations that remain run with fewer front-desk staff and more “universal bankers” who handle everything from loans to tech support.
If you’re in a teller job now, think of it as a stepping stone, not a permanent home. Use these years to move into roles that go beyond cash handling: personal banker, small-business specialist, loan processing, fraud prevention, or back-office operations. Get comfortable with spreadsheets, basic budgeting and credit reports, and whatever training your employer offers. Those skills also transfer into credit unions, mortgage companies, insurance, and even government jobs.
Data entry clerks and keyers
Any job that is basically “read numbers and type them into a system” is squarely in AI’s crosshairs. Software now scans forms, reads handwriting, and pushes data into databases with fewer errors than a tired human at the end of an eight-hour shift.
A global jobs report lists data entry clerks among the fastest-declining roles thanks to automation. U.S. projections show data entry keyer jobs dropping by more than a quarter between 2024 and 2034. Other analyses put data entry at or near the top of “most automatable” job lists.
If this is your job, the good news is you already know your way around systems and details. The next step is moving from “just typing” to “understanding the data.” That could mean basic bookkeeping, billing, medical records, logistics, or analyst support roles where you check, interpret, and explain information. Free or low-cost online courses in Excel, basic accounting, or database tools can turn “data entry” into something that still has a future.
General office, file, and order clerks
A lot of office work used to be shuffling paper: filing, pulling folders, printing reports, manually keying orders. Now, shared drives, project-management software, and online ordering systems do a big chunk of that with fewer people.
Projections through 2034 show general office clerks, file clerks, and order clerks all losing thousands of jobs. A global study also expects record-keeping and basic administrative roles to take some of the biggest hits as companies digitize.
If your day is mostly tracking paperwork or updating simple spreadsheets, assume that work will keep shrinking. The way out is to get closer to the actual decisions behind the files: scheduling, project coordination, customer onboarding, compliance, or HR support. Those roles still use your organizational skills but add people skills and judgment that are harder to automate.
Secretaries and administrative assistants (basic, not specialized)
Traditional “sit at the front, answer phones, type letters” assistant jobs are fading. Email, calendaring apps, shared documents, and AI writing tools all chip away at the old version of this role. In a major global survey, administrative and secretarial positions were singled out for some of the largest expected job losses.
U.S. employment projections show declines for general secretaries and administrative assistants, with tens of thousands of roles expected to disappear. Companies are keeping fewer admin staff per team and asking them to handle more complex responsibilities, while simpler tasks get automated or pushed back on managers.
If you’re in one of these jobs, your experience is still valuable, you already know how a business actually runs. To stay relevant, lean into specialized support: executive assistant work, legal or medical admin, project coordination, event planning, or operations. You’ll need stronger tech skills than before, including scheduling software, spreadsheets, and maybe light database or customer-relationship tools. But those skills can get you into better-paid roles instead of waiting for yours to be quietly cut.
Telemarketers
If you hate robocalls, here’s the one upside: they’re replacing a lot of human telemarketing. Predictive dialers, automated voice systems, and AI chat tools can now handle cold outreach cheaply and at massive scale.
Several automation-risk reports rank telemarketing near the top for jobs likely to be replaced by AI. Official U.S. projections show telemarketing employment dropping more than 20% by 2034.
If you’ve spent years on the phones, don’t sell yourself short. You already know how to stay calm with rude people, explain products clearly, and handle rejection, all valuable skills. The key is to move into higher-trust roles where relationships matter more than volume: inside sales, account management, customer success, or in-person sales roles. Look for jobs where you manage a set of customers instead of dialing strangers all day. Basic CRM and email skills are usually enough to start.
Basic customer service representatives
When you call customer service now, odds are you talk to a bot first. Many companies are rolling out AI tools that answer common questions, reset passwords, and pull up account info before a human ever touches the call or chat. Some expect this to cut millions of hours of call-center work worldwide.
U.S. projections show customer service representative jobs declining over the next decade, even though people still need help. The tasks that disappear first are the simple, scripted ones, which is exactly what many entry-level reps do.
If you’re in customer service, the safest ground is the harder stuff: complex troubleshooting, account retention, fraud resolution, or technical support. Those calls are harder for bots and more valuable to keep happy customers. Ask for training on higher-level queues or product-specialist roles. Over time, those skills can move you into quality assurance, operations, or even product roles where you help design better systems instead of just fixing problems one call at a time.
Telephone and switchboard operators
There was a time when an operator connected every call. Then came direct dial, then automated menus, now apps that let you reach the right person without passing through a human at all.
Official projections show telephone and switchboard operator jobs among the fastest-shrinking in the country, with steep double-digit declines expected through 2034. Many organizations have already merged their switchboard with front-desk or security roles, and smaller ones simply route calls with software.
If you do this work today, look at what else you already handle: greeting visitors, basic security, simple admin tasks. Those pieces can grow into front-desk coordinator, building security roles, medical office intake, or customer-facing reception where you handle scheduling and intake, not just calls. Computer literacy and people skills still matter, they just have to be tied to tasks software can’t fully replace.
Postal clerks and mail sorters
Mail is not going away, but the volume of letters, checks, and paper bills definitely is. Online billing, email, and package-sorting machines have already changed daily life in post offices and mailrooms.
A global jobs report highlights postal clerks as one of the roles expected to decline fastest as digital communication grows. National projections also show job losses in several mail-handling roles over the next decade. Sorting centers are increasingly automated, and front-counter work is shared with self-service kiosks and online services.
If you’re in postal or mailroom work, pay attention to internal training paths. There may be chances to move into logistics, warehouse operations, driving, maintenance, or supervisor roles that are harder to automate. Outside the postal system, your experience with tracking, scanning, and routing items can translate into jobs in shipping, delivery, and warehouse management in the private sector.
Word processors and typists
Dedicated “word processing” jobs exist largely because older systems used to be clunky. Now, almost everyone types their own documents, and AI can draft letters, forms, and reports in seconds.
U.S. projections show word processors and typists among the fastest-declining occupations, with employment expected to fall by more than a third by 2034. That’s a huge hit for a role that used to be common in law firms, government offices, and big companies.
If your job is mostly editing and retyping other people’s work, this is a good time to shift toward proofreading, document management, or content coordination, areas where you make decisions, not just keystrokes. Learning basic layout tools, style guides, and project-management software can move you into roles like legal assistant, communications support, or operations, where you still work with documents but in a deeper way.
Bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll clerks
Entry-level and routine bookkeeping tasks are increasingly built into software. Many small businesses now use tools that automatically pull bank feeds, categorize expenses, and run payroll. The work left over needs fewer people and more tech fluency.
A major future-of-jobs report expects a sharp drop in record-keeping roles, including accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll clerks, driven by digitalization and automation. U.S. projections show tens of thousands fewer of these jobs by 2034.
If you’re in this field, your path forward is not to run from numbers, it’s to move up the ladder. Learn more than data entry: basic financial analysis, budgeting, tax concepts, and spreadsheet skills. Cloud accounting certifications and payroll training can make you the person who sets up and oversees the systems, not the one correcting their leftovers. From there, you can grow into full-charge bookkeeping, analyst roles, or even running your own small bookkeeping business serving multiple clients instead of one employer.
Fast-food cooks and counter workers
Some fast-food kitchens now have burger-flipping robots, automated fryers, and self-order kiosks. Not every chain will go that far, but a lot of low-wage roles in fast food are designed to be standardized and repeatable, exactly what machines and software are good at.
Official projections show declines in fast-food cook jobs over the next decade. Automation research suggests food service is one of the sectors most exposed to changes in how work is done, even if the total number of meals people buy doesn’t change.
If you’re in fast food now, treat it as a bridge. Consider moving into higher-skill food roles, line cook in a full-service kitchen, baking, catering, or institutional food service, where there is more variety and human judgment. Or use the schedule flexibility to train for something else entirely: trades, health care support, commercial driving, or office work. Your experience handling rushes, customer complaints, and multitasking is genuinely useful in many other jobs.
Packers and hand packagers in warehouses
Online shopping creates a huge need for warehouses and fulfillment centers. But inside those buildings, more and more work is done by conveyors, scanners, and robots. Basic packing and sorting tasks are among the easiest to automate.
U.S. projections show hand packers and packagers losing jobs even as overall logistics and warehousing employment grows. Other analyses point to warehouse roles with repetitive motions as prime targets for robotics.
If you’re working in a warehouse now, aim for the jobs that sit “above” the line: equipment operator, inventory control, quality assurance, shipping coordinator, or team lead. Those roles require more training and safety knowledge but are much harder to replace with machines. Many big companies are desperate for people willing to learn forklift operation, automated system monitoring, or simple data reporting, and they often pay better than packing.
Print binding, prepress, and other print-shop jobs
Newspapers and magazines have been shrinking for years. A lot of commercial printing has moved to digital, on-demand models that use fewer people and more automated machines. Posters, brochures, and books still exist, but they’re produced in different ways.
Official projections list print binding and finishing workers, as well as prepress technicians, among the fastest-declining occupations through 2034. As more content shifts online and print runs get shorter, shops either close or modernize with equipment that needs a handful of skilled operators instead of a room full of workers.
If your background is in printing, your mechanical and detail skills still matter. You might move into digital press operation, packaging design, sign making, or even industrial maintenance for the machines themselves. Another path is shifting into graphic design or layout if you enjoy the visual side more than the mechanical side; low-cost online design courses plus your real-world print experience can be a powerful combo.
Basic computer programmers (not broader software developers)
This one surprises people, but it’s already happening. Over the past few years, a big chunk of traditional “programmer” jobs, folks whose main job was writing code from specs, has disappeared as companies blend those tasks into other roles and lean on AI tools.
A major research group estimates that by 2030, activities making up around 30% of hours worked across the economy could be automated, with office support and some technical roles among the most affected. That doesn’t mean software is dead, far from it, but narrow “coding only” roles are under real pressure, and early-career positions are often the first to go.
If you code for a living, focus on the pieces AI can’t easily handle alone: talking to users, designing systems, making trade-offs, and owning projects end-to-end. That usually means shifting from “programmer” to broader developer, engineer, or product-adjacent roles. Get comfortable using AI as a tool instead of seeing it as a rival. The people who can design, explain, and oversee these systems are far less likely to be replaced than those who only implement instructions line by line.
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