US job portal CareerCast now has computer programmer on its "most endangered" list... and it's only one place lower than newspaper reporter.

Both are likely to decline eight per cent, while the real tough times go to posties, whose prospects decline by 28 per cent, according to US labour statistics projections.

Online content editor Kyle Kensing says automation will be a recurring theme, with newspaper reporter among those jobs where its presence will be felt.

"Already in a dwindling market due to the shift from print to online, and the loss of associated revenue, automated publishing looms as a potential threat to them. For example, Associated Press uses an automated system that can publish stories without human intervention."

For mail deliverers, automation of sorting and processing has added to the threat created by people abandoning the traditional letter to friends, family and colleagues.

Computer programmer is on the list of ten most endangered jobs, with fundamental-level programming becomes a commodity which can be sourced from anywhere in the world. Specialised careers in IT remain strong.

Here's the CareerCast list:

To see the full report, visit CareerCast.