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The federal civilian workforce has contracted sharply since late 2024. Deferred resignations, reductions in force, ordinary attrition, and a broad hiring pullback have all pushed headcount down, and the coming decade points to further federal decline even as total U.S. employment keeps growing.
That backdrop matters if you are weighing a public-sector career right now. The most exposed roles are the ones built on routine paperwork and repetitive processing, where software now handles much of what a person used to do by hand.
Automation, digitized records, agency consolidation, and tighter headcount budgets are doing most of the work here. If you are trying to get ahead financially, it helps to know which public paths are widening and which ones are quietly closing.
Editor's note: All figures are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
Median annual salary: $58,470
These workers prepare incoming and outgoing mail for distribution at post offices and processing centers, load and unload postal trucks, and operate and adjust the sorting machinery that moves mail through the network. Machines that read addresses and sort automatically, plus the shift to online bill pay and email, have made this the most exposed postal role.
No formal education is needed, though candidates must pass a written exam covering address cross comparison, forms completion, memory and coding, and personal characteristics, and meet age, citizenship, background-check, and drug-screening standards. Plant consolidations mean advancement often depends on being willing to relocate.
Postal service clerks
Median annual salary: $62,130
Clerks sell stamps, money orders, and mailing supplies, register, certify, and insure mail, calculate and collect postage, answer customer questions, and sometimes help sort. Self-service kiosks, online postage, and click-and-ship labels keep shaving transactions off the counter.
Entry requires passing the same written exam and meeting qualifications such as being at least 18, or 16 with a high school diploma, being a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and clearing a background check, medical assessment, and drug screening. Window hours and staffing are set centrally, which leaves little room to build a bigger role.
Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
Median annual salary: $72,420
Court reporters create word-for-word transcripts of depositions, hearings, and trials using stenotype machines, steno masks, or digital recorders, while simultaneous captioners produce real-time text of broadcasts and live events for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. AI transcription is expected to dampen demand, and judicial budgets are tight, leaving projected growth at 0% for 2025-35.
A postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education, usually a certificate or associate's program at a community college or technical institute that takes two to three years, followed by state licensure or professional certification with a written test and a speed and accuracy test. That is a long runway for a field where the number of seats is not expected to grow.
Correspondence clerks
Median annual salary: $46,800
Correspondence clerks answer inquiries from the public, preparing standard responses to requests, damage claims, delinquent accounts, incorrect billings, or service complaints, and they often check records and draft letters for a supervisor to sign. Template systems and AI drafting tools handle exactly this kind of routine reply.
A high school diploma is the typical entry-level credential, with a few weeks of on-the-job training in clerical procedures and office software. This is also a very small occupation, so openings are scarce and the internal ladder is short.
General office clerks
Median annual salary: $45,010
General office clerks answer phones, take messages, respond to emails, sort mail, schedule appointments, and type, format, or edit routine memos, with duties shifting day to day. Automated phone systems, shared electronic filing, and self-service portals let other staff absorb these tasks, and employment is projected to decline 6% for 2025-35.
A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education, with no prior experience required and up to about a month of on-the-job training on office procedures, phone etiquette, and equipment. Advancement usually means moving into an administrative assistant track, which is itself under pressure.
Library technicians
Median annual salary: $44,574
Library technicians help patrons locate materials, loan and reshelve items, catalog resources, handle interlibrary loans, and answer routine reference questions at public, school, and agency libraries. Falling in-person use and tight local budgets are squeezing staffing.
The typical entry-level education is a postsecondary certificate in library technology covering acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, reference, and automated library systems. Becoming a librarian requires a master's degree in library science, so the jump from technician to supervisor is the only short step available.
Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
Median annual salary: $62,370
These workers review filed returns to decide whether credits and deductions are lawful, conduct field audits, and contact taxpayers to resolve issues or collect overdue payments. Automated matching flags most simple discrepancies without human review, and with enforcement staffing tied directly to agency budgets, employment is projected to slip 1% for 2025-35.
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education, usually in accounting or a related field, though relevant experience can substitute, followed by one month to a year of on-the-job training. Federal hiring here has been the most volatile, so state revenue departments are often the steadier entry point.
Bottom line
Plenty of these roles still post openings every year, mostly because people retire or move on and someone has to fill the seat. The problem is the direction of travel, not an empty job board.
If public service appeals to you, state and local agencies are generally holding up better than federal offices facing consolidation. The steadiest work pairs records or clerical skill with something software cannot do alone, like face-to-face casework, technical systems, or a license that takes real training.
Before committing years to a narrowing ladder, map the adjacent roles that use the same skills and take a few steps to prepare yourself financially while you do it.
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