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Teller

What Does it Take to Be a Teller?

Job Description: Receive and pay out money. Keep records of money and negotiable instruments involved in a financial institution’s various transactions.

Life As a Teller: What Do They Do?

  • Answer telephones and assist customers with their questions.
  • Receive and count daily inventories of cash, drafts, and travelers’ checks.
  • Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds.
  • Compose, type, and mail customer statements and other correspondence related to issues such as discrepancies and outstanding unpaid items.
  • Receive mortgage, loan, or public utility bill payments, verifying payment dates and amounts due.
  • Identify transaction mistakes when debits and credits do not balance.

Teller Skills

When polled, Tellers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Member Services Representative
  • Customer Relationship Specialist
  • Branch Operations Specialist
  • Paying Teller
  • Operations Specialist

Job Opportunities for Tellers

There were about 502,700 jobs for Teller in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Teller. The BLS estimates 51,500 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Teller are Utah, Arizona, and Texas. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Illinois, or Pennsylvania. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for a Teller

The salary for Tellers ranges between about $22,250 and $39,110 a year.

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Tellers who work in District of Columbia, Washington, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.

How much do Tellers make in different U.S. states?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $27,830
Alaska $30,710
Arizona $30,370
Arkansas $25,640
California $32,120
Colorado $30,810
Connecticut $33,360
Delaware $30,670
District of Columbia $35,790
Florida $32,140
Georgia $30,670
Hawaii $32,050
Idaho $28,660
Illinois $29,860
Indiana $27,900
Iowa $28,480
Kansas $28,150
Kentucky $27,770
Louisiana $27,850
Maine $30,080
Maryland $32,330
Massachusetts $32,860
Michigan $30,150
Minnesota $30,270
Mississippi $27,380
Missouri $27,800
Montana $28,760
Nebraska $29,620
Nevada $30,050
New Hampshire $29,780
New Jersey $32,950
New Mexico $27,050
New York $31,680
North Carolina $32,100
North Dakota $31,800
Ohio $28,990
Oklahoma $26,240
Oregon $30,390
Pennsylvania $29,360
Rhode Island $31,520
South Carolina $30,490
South Dakota $27,230
Tennessee $28,100
Texas $28,710
Utah $27,800
Vermont $30,850
Virginia $31,220
Washington $34,240
West Virginia $26,220
Wisconsin $28,870
Wyoming $28,810

Tools & Technologies Used by Tellers

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Tellers:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Email software
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • IBM Notes
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Internet browser software
  • Accounting software
  • Hyland Software OnBase

How to Become a Teller

Are there Tellers education requirements?

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What work experience do I need to become a Teller?

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Those interested in being a Teller may also be interested in:

Are you already one of the many Teller in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

References:

Image Credit: Dave Dugdale via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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