Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks: Career Overview
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.
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The Daily Work of Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Do?
Typical responsibilities of credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks include:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Jobs
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
How Many Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks Are There?
The U.S. employs around 1,623,460 credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +3.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
| 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.
Pay by State
| 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 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Top Metro Areas
| 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
The bulk of credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks are concentrated in the following sectors:
| 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 |
Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks work in the following industries:
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)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks reflects 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), indicating 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)
Where to Study
Aspiring credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes 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: 43-4041.00 (Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks).