How to Become a Bank Teller

Bank Teller Key Stats
Avg. Salary / year	$42,630
Avg. Pay / hour	$20.49
Education	0-6 Months
Job Outlook	-8.3%

Bank Tellers are professionals who work in the financial and banking industry to provide customer service to clients.

Services can range from the simple from client deposits and withdrawals to providing other financial services such as creating cashier’s checks and notary duties.

Bank Tellers must use attention to detail when providing services under the eye of waiting clients.

Individuals who want to become a Bank Teller will need a combination of personal skills, education and training in order to enter this profession.

Some helpful personal skills that will help individuals enter this field include attention to detail, basic math skills and having strong customer service skills.

Education Requirements to Become a Bank Teller

Individuals who want to become a Bank Teller will need to fulfill educational requirements, gain some basic training and pass a background check in order to enter this profession.

A postsecondary is not required to enter this profession, but for individuals with a degree who would like to enter the financial industry, starting a career as a Bank Teller may be a good strategy before seeking a promotion.

Individuals with a high school diploma or some college can become a Bank Teller.

Individuals are encouraged to work on basic math skills, understand how to use computers and work on customer service skills in order to enter this profession.

Individuals who know a second language have better prospects to enter this field as many banks have clients who know a different language than English.

Bank Tellers must also pass a background test in order to become a Bank Teller.

Because these individuals work directly with money and client information, a background test will ensure a bank is hiring a responsible profession.

A background may also include pulling a credit report; individuals with good credit are more likely to get hired because they pose a lower risk than those with bad credit.

During their training, Bank Tellers will learn basic Bank Teller skills that will help them succeed in this profession.

Some common skills taught during Bank Teller training may include the following:

• Balance of drawers
• Learn how to verify signatures
• Training how to use financial computer software
• Financial Services and Products
• Customer Service training

Bank Teller Job Description

Bank Tellers are experienced in providing a wide range of basic financial services to their clients.

They may help clients with some basic transactions such as deposits, withdrawals and transfers.

When receiving cash or checks, Bank Tellers will make sure these forms of currency or not forfeited and make sure large denominations are actually made by the treasurer.

In addition, they may also provide other services such as creating money order or cashier’s checks, opening and closing accounts, providing recent balances and updating a client’s balances using computer software.

Bank Tellers may also process payments for loan or credit card accounts and update client accounts after receiving payments.

They will order checks or debit cards when clients request them and provide information on the many types of financial products offered.

Bank Teller Salary and Career Path

In 2012, the median salary for Bank Tellers was approximately $24,940 per year or $11.99 per hour.

Exact wages will depend on a variety of factors including geographical location, years of experience and special skills such as being bilingual.

The top earning Bank Tellers earn towards $34,320 per year.

Approximately 1 in 3 Bank Tellers work part time which also impacts the amount an individual earns in a year.

The job outlook for Bank Tellers is expected to show little to no growth when compared to other professions.

Job opportunities are projected to grow by 1 percent through the year 2022.

This growth is considered much slower than average when compared to other professions.

Growth for this profession relies on the expansion of physical bank branches which has recently slowed down due to changes in the banking industry.

Bank Tellers are professionals who work in the financial industry and are the first contact professionals a customer sees when visiting a bank.

These individuals are responsible for providing basic banking skills such as cashing checks and making deposits.

Individuals entering this career will work in a busy environment and consistently work with clients assisting them with basic financial services.

The below information is based on the 2021 BLS national averages.

• Annually
• Monthly
• Hourly

* Salary information based on the May 2021 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Financial Clerks, OCC Code 43-3099, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a bank teller do?

A bank teller is someone who is responsible for processing various routine bank transactions.

The transactions usually include depositing money, collecting loan payments, and cashing cheques.

The typical responsibilities of a bank teller include accepting different forms of payment from the customers; counting the cash at the start of the shift; answering the questions of the customers; exchanging dollars; preparing specialized type of funds; ordering bank cards and cheques; recording all transactions; counting the cash at the end of the shift, and so on.

A bank teller can get promoted to a head teller; in this case, most of the tasks will remain the same, a few managerial duties will simply be added (head tellers, for example, can deal with the most complex customer problems).

How much do bank tellers make?

On average, a bank teller can make a little less than $29.000 per year in the United States.

In case you decide to choose this career path, you can expect to earn anywhere between $22.000 and $38.000 annually.

The salary would certainly depend on a variety of factors – your education and experience level, the client, the location, and so on.

The professionals that work in Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and Washington, for example, have the highest average salaries.

An entry-level bank teller can earn around $10.50 per hour, while a top-level specialist with plenty of experience can make $18 and more per hour.

How much does it cost to become a bank teller?

A bank teller would usually need only a high school diploma; the on-the-job experience will be provided by the employer.

The teller would have to get familiar with the computer software that the bank uses and the financial services and products.

You can acquire an American Association of Banker’s Bank Teller Certificate; that will cost you anywhere between $700 and $1000.

What is the demand for bank tellers?

Between 2016 and 2026, the bank teller job market is expected to shrink by 8.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This will happen due to the fact that the majority of clients prefer to do the procedures online nowadays.

The job market will be providing poor employment opportunities, but the tellers that are certified and have a degree can seek promotion and will, all-in-all, have better job perspectives.

Bear in mind that the industry is mainly concentrated in Florida, California, and Texas.

How long does it take to become a bank teller?

It won’t take long to become a bank teller – you can try to enter the industry right after you have obtained a high school diploma.

On-the-job training usually lasts for a few weeks or even less.

To earn a bank teller certificate, you would have to complete 35 courses and exercises provided by the American Bankers Association; it typically takes the students around 13 hours.