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Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks: Job Description
Authorize credit charges against customers' accounts. Investigate history and credit standing of individuals or business establishments applying for credit. May interview applicants to obtain personal and financial data, determine credit worthiness, process applications, and notify customers of acceptance or rejection of credit.
What Tasks Do Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Take On?
Typical responsibilities of credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks span:
- Keep records of customers' charges and payments.
- Compile and analyze credit information gathered by investigation.
- Obtain information about potential creditors from banks, credit bureaus, and other credit services, and provide reciprocal information if requested.
- Interview credit applicants by telephone or in person to obtain personal and financial data needed to complete credit report.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Accounts Receivable Coordinator
- Authorizer
- Branch Processor
- Call Out Operator
- Charge Authorizer
- Collector
- Commercial Credit Advisor
- Commercial Credit Analyst
Job Outlook
There are roughly 1,623,460 credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +3.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $32,210 |
| Hourly median | $15.49 |
| 10th percentile | $22,271 |
| 25th percentile | $27,241 |
| 75th percentile | $37,179 |
| 90th percentile | $42,149 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $65,270 |
| Texas | $58,770 |
| New Hampshire | $56,400 |
| New Jersey | $55,350 |
| North Dakota | $54,820 |
| Virginia | $53,870 |
| Massachusetts | $53,690 |
| Washington | $53,220 |
| Ohio | $52,270 |
| New York | $52,090 |
| Maine | $51,820 |
| Tennessee | $51,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,610 |
| California | $50,370 |
| Minnesota | $49,960 |
| South Dakota | $49,880 |
| Utah | $49,800 |
| Colorado | $49,380 |
| Kentucky | $48,550 |
| Oregon | $47,460 |
| North Carolina | $47,140 |
| Nebraska | $47,120 |
| Iowa | $46,820 |
| Indiana | $46,810 |
| Idaho | $46,720 |
| Maryland | $46,280 |
| Michigan | $46,020 |
| Wisconsin | $45,020 |
| Nevada | $44,680 |
| Louisiana | $42,510 |
| South Carolina | $38,820 |
| Oklahoma | $38,680 |
| Mississippi | $38,170 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,720 |
| Georgia | $28,990 |
Where Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Earn the Most
Pay for credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $54,040 | 3.3% | 1.36 |
| Far Western US | $49,616 | 13.7% | 0.89 |
| Great Lakes | $49,552 | 10.9% | 1.10 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,372 | 5.3% | 1.52 |
| Southwest | $45,781 | 12.1% | 0.97 |
| Middle Atlantic | $42,125 | 18.8% | 3.36 |
| Plains States | $30,961 | 6.5% | 1.23 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $30,720 | 1.0% | 1.46 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $75,530 | |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $65,240 | 120 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $65,110 | 600 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $61,100 | 520 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | NH | $61,030 | 40 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | TX | $60,110 | 60 |
| Columbus, OH | OH | $59,470 | 170 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $59,190 | 60 |
Which Industries Hire Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
Most credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Insurance | 3,920 | $51,000 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,400 | $51,480 |
| Retail Trade | 1,350 | $36,920 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,350 | $52,340 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,110 | $46,480 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 550 | $43,830 |
| Information | 520 | $50,450 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 500 | $45,190 |
Below are examples of industries where credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks work:
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
- Business intelligence and data analysis software: Tableau (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Supplemental)
- Accountants and Auditors (Supplemental)
- Credit Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Personal Financial Advisors (Supplemental)
- Financial Examiners (Supplemental)
- Credit Counselors (Primary-Short)
- Loan Officers (Primary-Short)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Primary-Long)
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-4041.00 (Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks).
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