Life As a Teller
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 Do On a Daily Basis?
- Identify transaction mistakes when debits and credits do not balance.
- Order a supply of cash to meet daily needs.
- Receive mortgage, loan, or public utility bill payments, verifying payment dates and amounts due.
- Resolve problems or discrepancies concerning customers’ accounts.
- Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips.
- 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.
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Things a Teller Should Know How to Do
Tellers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Money Counter
- Savings Teller
- Foreign Exchange Clerk
- Coupon Clerk
- Paying Teller
Are There 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. There will be an estimated 51,500 positions for Teller per year.
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.
Teller Average Salary
The salary for Tellers ranges between about $22,250 and $39,110 a year.
Tellers who work in District of Columbia, Washington, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Tellers 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 |
What Tools do Tellers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Tellers may use on a daily basis:
- 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
Becoming a Teller
Learn what Teller education requirements there are.
How many years of work experience do I need?
Who Employs Tellers?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Teller may also be interested in:
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
- Data Entry Keyers
- Brokerage Clerks
- Customer Service Representatives
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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