Teller supervisors work in banks and oversee other tellers, who are responsible for handling the basic financial transactions of customers, including cashing checks, making deposits and withdrawals. Teller supervisors and their staffs also point customers in the right direction when the customer is seeking a loan or wants to open a new checking or savings account.

Basics

Teller supervisors hire, train and organize a staff. They schedule employees and teach them how to operate a money drawer. Many times, they will conduct employee performance reviews. Teller supervisors hold important positions because their job involves handling money. They often work in a teller’s window themselves and make certain a customer’s signature on the back of his check matches the one in the bank's system. Teller supervisors and tellers also frequently need to ask a customer for identification, such as a driver’s license, when cashing a check.

Skills

Teller supervisors need to possess strong leadership skills, ably directing their team. They must keep their staffs motivated and morale high. They have to make customer service a priority, both in their own work and the work of their own employees. Teller supervisors also need to feel comfortable delegating and make sure other tellers understand the bank's policies and guidelines. They should be motivated, confident, organized and patient, particularly when training members of their staff. On top of those things, teller supervisors need to possess strong math skills, since they often keep track of the money in each teller’s drawer.

Background

Most teller supervisors only need a high school diploma to get hired. The majority, however, likely need to spend some time as tellers first. That gives them the opportunity to learn on the job, as well as develop the skills needed to become a manager. Also, teller supervisors who hope to advance to another position within the bank, such as a bank manager or loan officer, will need a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on courses in business, math, economics and perhaps accounting.

Prospects

Banks will always need someone to dole out money to patrons, as well as someone to manage those workers. Therefore, opportunities for teller supervisors are likely to be plentiful for years to come. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for tellers overall are expected to decline by 17 percent through 2030.

Earnings

Teller supervisors can earn a livable wage, depending on the size of the bank and their years on the job.

2020 Salary Information for Tellers

Tellers earned a median annual salary of $32,620 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, tellers earned a 10th percentile salary of $24,660, meaning 90 percent earned more than this amount. The 90th percentile salary is $41,220, meaning 10 percent earn more. In 2020, 432,500 people were employed in the U.S. as tellers.