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Tellers: Job Description
Receive and pay out money. Keep records of money and negotiable instruments involved in a financial institution's various transactions.
What Do Tellers Take On?
Typical responsibilities of tellers span:
- Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts and calculate daily transactions, using computers, calculators, or adding machines.
- Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips.
- Monitor bank vaults to ensure cash balances are correct.
- Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds.
- Count currency, coins, and checks received, by hand or using currency-counting machine, to prepare them for deposit or shipment to branch banks or the Federal Reserve Bank.
- Enter customers' transactions into computers to record transactions and issue computer-generated receipts.
- Examine checks for endorsements and to verify other information, such as dates, bank names, identification of the persons receiving payments, and the legality of the documents.
- Resolve problems or discrepancies concerning customers' accounts.
What Tellers Need to Know
Successful tellers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Tellers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Account Representative
- Bank Representative
- Bank Teller
- Banker
- Bilingual Spanish Teller
- Bilingual Teller
- Branch Operations Specialist
- Branch Teller
How Many Tellers Are There?
There are about 831,497 tellers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +11.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Tellers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $57,527 |
| Hourly median | $27.66 |
| 10th percentile | $35,055 |
| 25th percentile | $46,291 |
| 75th percentile | $68,763 |
| 90th percentile | $79,998 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Tellers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $46,890 |
| Connecticut | $46,310 |
| California | $45,920 |
| New Jersey | $45,720 |
| Alaska | $45,590 |
| Massachusetts | $45,100 |
| Oregon | $44,600 |
| District of Columbia | $44,380 |
| Colorado | $44,370 |
| Florida | $44,120 |
| Nevada | $44,080 |
| New York | $44,040 |
| Arizona | $43,830 |
| Delaware | $43,660 |
| Virginia | $43,340 |
| Maryland | $43,310 |
| Rhode Island | $43,190 |
| Ohio | $42,990 |
| North Carolina | $42,990 |
| New Hampshire | $42,470 |
| Vermont | $42,030 |
| Minnesota | $41,740 |
| Hawaii | $40,260 |
| Maine | $39,160 |
| North Dakota | $39,060 |
| Wisconsin | $39,010 |
| Georgia | $38,890 |
| Idaho | $38,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,750 |
| South Carolina | $38,620 |
| Illinois | $38,490 |
| Indiana | $38,350 |
| New Mexico | $38,060 |
| Utah | $38,000 |
| Iowa | $37,890 |
| Michigan | $37,840 |
| Montana | $37,640 |
| Nebraska | $37,480 |
| Wyoming | $37,210 |
| Texas | $37,190 |
| South Dakota | $37,120 |
| Kentucky | $36,410 |
| Tennessee | $36,400 |
| Alabama | $36,350 |
| Kansas | $36,340 |
| Louisiana | $35,900 |
| Missouri | $35,510 |
| Mississippi | $35,340 |
| Oklahoma | $35,160 |
| Arkansas | $34,900 |
| Virgin Islands | $31,390 |
| West Virginia | $31,200 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,630 |
Where Tellers Earn the Most
Pay for tellers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $45,705 | 12.3% | 0.79 |
| New England | $44,017 | 4.6% | 1.01 |
| Middle Atlantic | $42,649 | 14.3% | 0.99 |
| Rocky Mountains | $40,515 | 4.4% | 1.13 |
| Great Lakes | $39,495 | 18.5% | 1.31 |
| Southeast | $39,066 | 23.4% | 1.06 |
| Plains States | $37,682 | 9.9% | 1.53 |
| Southwest | $37,604 | 11.7% | 1.04 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Tellers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $50,020 | 1,170 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $49,180 | 90 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $48,670 | 3,460 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $48,650 | 940 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $47,850 | 2,880 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $47,780 | 540 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $47,590 | 370 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $47,420 | 1,340 |
Top Industries Employing Tellers
Most tellers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Insurance | 330,260 | $39,280 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 5,170 | $44,110 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,830 | $39,600 |
| Information | 240 | $45,800 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 230 | $46,180 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 90 | $42,490 |
| Educational Services | 80 | $38,310 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 50 | $39,270 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and 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)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of tellers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Getting Started in This Career
Most tellers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Supplemental)
- Accountants and Auditors (Supplemental)
- Credit Analysts (Supplemental)
- Loan Officers (Supplemental)
- Cashiers (Primary-Short)
- Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers (Primary-Long)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Supplemental)
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents (Primary-Long)
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from 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: 43-3071.00 (Tellers).
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