10 Job Positions That Will Become Obsolete in 10 Years

In this day and age technology is playing a major role in unemployment rates. Industrial processes are being automated and digital consumption is increasing, which will all lead to some being replaced by machines. It has happened in the past and it will surely happen in the future.

Here are 10 jobs that may be on their way to the dustbin in the next ten years.

1. Postal Workers/Post Masters

The average annual salary of a mail carrier is $53,000 or roughly $25.53 per hour. However, Postman Pat will not be happy with the hiring outlook in the upcoming years.

It is estimated there will be a 28% decline in hiring of postal workers or mail carriers. The Internet is playing a major part in the decline. Rather than wait for days before getting a letter reply, you can now send an email to anyone in the world and get a response in minutes. You can even video call distant loved ones to fill the gap.

The decline in postal jobs in the next ten years is expected to be severe.

Online billing is also reducing the need for service companies to send paper billing statements to consumers. Parcel delivery is also being modernized into drone-based delivery and pilot-free cargo planes.

The future of the United States Postal Service is looking dim despite its long and illustrious history. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has considered postal service workers as one of the top occupations to experience the highest projected decline in employment.

2. Lumberjacks

The average annual salary of a lumberjack is around $24,000. In the upcoming years, it is foreseen that there will be a 9% decline in the demand for lumberjacks.

Unemployment rates for lumberjacks have been reported high since 2012 and it is foreseen that the position is to become obsolete by 2022.

The primary factor for the decline is the available technological advancements that require fewer workers in the area. Back in the days, lumberjacks would manually carry axes and chainsaws to cut down trees. Now, there are numerous machines to make the task easier and safer. Moreover, paper-based products are also experiencing a decline. Wood pulp is not as popular as it once was.

While lumberjacks may not be pleased with how the employment rate is going, there are those that consider this a good sign as being a lumberjack has been listed as one of the worst jobs in the world due to its work instability, poor income, and pure danger.

3. Cashiers 

Being a cashier is considered an entry-level, low-paying job with the majority of workers doing it part-time. The average wage for a retail cashier is $8.51 per hour, but varies based on the level of skill and experience, and it obviously depends on who the employer is. It can go as low as $7.34 or as high as $11.

The employment rates of cashiers are expected to decline by 3% by the year 2016 due to the increase of online shopping.

Those working at retail stores may also lose their jobs once the stores decide to install self-checkout systems. One major determining factor of the job’s future lies on the public’s acceptance of these self-service checkout systems. After all, there are still those that prefer the traditional method of going to a store, purchasing goods and having a chat with the cashier.

On the other hand, there is a growing demand for gaming cashiers. The number of states that have legalized gambling is continuously growing. Perhaps retail cashiers should start looking for other part-time jobs, maybe in the gambling industry.

4. Travel Agents

The Internet may be blamed for the declining need for travel agents.

Back in the days, planning a trip to somewhere exotic was impossible without a travel agent. Travel agents are in charge of assisting clients and creating the best travel plans whether for leisure or business.

Nowadays, there is always a new vacation place being discovered somewhere around the world and people are heading there without the need for a travel agent. 

Just google the place where you want to go and you can book everything online, from your plane ticket to your accommodations. These days there is even a ton of mobile applications that will tell you when flights are the cheapest or rooms are discounted.

For the past five years, the need for travel agents has declined by 14%.

A travel agent earns the average annual salary of $37,000 but only 12,500 jobs were contracted in the last five years. The number of traditional travel agencies has been cut in half – from around 44,000 in 1997 to just about 20,000 in 2010.

Being a travel agent was once considered a high-paying career. Travel agencies are now finding innovative ways to battle the decline, but there is a strong possibility that the job will become obsolete in 10 years if they do not adapt.

5. Typists

Word processors and typists are another group in decline. It is one of those low-paying jobs being replaced by technology (again).

Word processors spend their time typing and transcribing letters and other important documents for businesses and individuals. The average annual salary of a typist is around $29,000 but there is an ongoing decline in demand of around 7.2% per year.

Between 2002 and 2012, the whole industry experienced a 54% decline.

Imagine what will happen in the next 10 years. The advancement in computer technology has made word processors and typists almost obsolete. Everyone is now familiar with word processing software. Not to mention that technology is rapidly developing, with voice recognition software and barcode scanners becoming close to perfect. Data encoding is now becoming more of an online paid task rather than a real job position it was ten years ago.

The growth of electronic business transactions will make administrative and support word processing tasks virtually obsolete in the upcoming years.

6. Semiconductor Processors 

Semiconductor devices are not becoming obsolete and there is a growing demand as the years pass. However, 5,800 people working as semiconductor processors are going to be deemed unnecessary between 2012 and 2022.

The steady growth of semiconductors in electronic devices calls for the need to automate the process to avoid error and maintain efficiency. Semiconductor processors oversee the manufacturing of devices such as integrated circuits and microchips. Microchips can be found in all electronic devices, including your smartphones, tablets and laptops. Nowadays, the market requires mass-produced semiconductors that can no longer be effectively built by human hands.

Manufacturers are automating production to ensure quality.

The manufacturing plant prefers robots and automated machines to maintain the high standard of cleanliness in the semiconductor work environment. Just between 2002 and 2012, the industry saw a 54% decline in employment rates. Moreover, companies are now outsourcing the process, thus leading to more jobs being lost in the US.

There might even come a time when all you need is one person to press the button for the whole manufacturing facility to function. This is not good news for a semiconductor processor who receives an average annual salary of around $33,000.

7. Photographic Process Workers 

Photographs are a special part of any family. Parents love documenting their children’s life while others capture their special moments and travels.

More than ten years ago, people had to go to a booth or store to have their photos developed and processed. They had to wait for an hour or so before getting an envelope of freshly developed photographs. Photographic process workers were in charge of bringing into print your captured memories. They are also known as “digital imaging technicians”. They modify photos depending on the request of a client, such as removing unwanted background or combining features from different photos.

Today, the advancement of camera phones and digital cameras is affecting the employment rates of photographic process workers.

The position is estimated to reach a 36% decline in demand by year 2016. In the upcoming years, more jobs may be lost and photographic process workers could very well become obsolete. People will be printing photos captured with their smartphones, at the convenience of their own home. Also, camera owners are no longer printing all their photos, but rather storing them in cloud-sharing sites. Editing and processing a digital image will be done easily at home with the help of user-friendly photo editing software.

8. Meter Readers

Time appears to be running out for meter readers.

They are the ones who go around neighborhoods just to check the meters of households and commercial establishments. However, the next ten years may completely eliminate the need for meter readers.

More companies are shifting to modern technology that does away with the need for human eyes to check the readings.

There are now remote-viewable meter readers that will automatically compile usage data to be sent to the companies for billing. As more companies shift to this method, there is an expected 19% decline in hiring in the next few years. The average salary of a meter reader is around $35,000.

Once companies install the digital meters, they will be able to collect information and create bills accurately. Ten years ago a meter reading department would probably have more than fifty employees, but in the next ten years it may drop to ten or even less.

It is also possible that there will be a completely automated system to generate your electric billing without human help. Meter readers may soon be obsolete like lamplighters were decades ago.

9. Video Clerks

Do you still remember the time when you walked into a video store to check out what to watch on the weekend? Today’s generation may no longer feel the excitement of visiting the video store due to the massive collection of movies available on the Internet today. With the videos readily available online, why would you drag yourself out of the house?

Most people nowadays prefer movie streaming or downloading online. This eliminates the hassle of driving to the store, going around to find the one you like, and lining up at the checkout counter.

This may be an advantage to consumers but it impacts the employment rates of video clerks negatively.

The average hourly wage of a video clerk is around $13. Annually, they can earn up to $27,000 on average. In general, the demand for counter and rental clerks will be experiencing a decline of 71.7% due to automation. Video clerks seem to be doing worse with the decline of video stores. It will not be surprising if the job becomes obsolete within 10 years.

10. Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Operators 

Aside from the postal service, the textile industry is also taking the ax in employment.

Textile knitting and weaving machine setters and operators are experiencing a decline in demand between 24% – 31%.

Manual dexterity and mechanical aptitude are the skills needed for the job, but workers are now being replaced by automated machineries. The average annual salary of a cutting machine worker is $21,620 while knitting and weaving workers get a bit more – $24,290.

Improvements in the textile production process are diminishing the need for workers. There is a projected 20% further decline in the next ten years.

Contributing to the decline is the automated equipment that is replacing workers in the assembly line. The position may be obsolete in the next 10 years once machine designers create tools that can replace the hands of workers to produce intricate designs.

Textile imports are also increasing due to cheap labor in developing countries. Most of the work is done by hand, but the workers are considerably cheaper in wage.