What Tellers Do

Tellers are responsible for accurately processing routine transactions at a bank. These transactions include cashing checks, depositing money, and collecting loan payments.

Work Environment

Most tellers work in bank branches. About 1 in 4 worked part time in 2014.

How to Become a Teller

Most tellers have a high school diploma and receive about 1 month of on-the-job training. Some banks do background checks before hiring a new teller.

Job Outlook

Employment of tellers is projected to decline 8 percent from 2014 to 2024. Online banking and mobile applications should replace many of the job duties that tellers traditionally performed.

Growth & Trends

This occupation supported 545,300 jobs in 2012 and 520,500 jobs in 2014, reflecting a decline of 4.5%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 1.0% in 2022 to 551,000 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 546,400, compared with an observed value of 520,500, 4.7% lower than expected. This indicates current employment trends are worse than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to decrease by 7.3% in 2024 to 480,500 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 552,100 jobs for 2024, 14.9% higher than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are much worse than the 2012 trend within this occupation.

Tellers Employment and Labor Information 2023

Tellers Employment Brief:

Receive and pay out money. Keep records of money and negotiable instruments involved in a financial institution's various transactions.

Tellers Job Description

Here is a Job Description an employer might post for potential Tellers.

Tellers Responsibilities and Duties:

• Sort and file deposit slips and checks.
• Receive mortgage, loan, or public utility bill payments, verifying payment dates and amounts due.
• Prepare work schedules for staff.
• 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.
• Obtain and process information required for the provision of services, such as opening accounts, savings plans, and purchasing bonds.
• Identify transaction mistakes when debits and credits do not balance.
• Monitor bank vaults to ensure cash balances are correct.
• Issue checks to bond owners in settlement of transactions.
• Quote unit exchange rates, following daily international rate sheets or computer displays.
• Arrange monies received in cash boxes and coin dispensers according to denomination.

Typical Daily Tasks of Tellers:

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Answer customer questions about goods or services. Respond to customer problems or complaints.
• Working with Computers: Enter information into databases or software programs.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
• Getting Information: Obtain personal or financial information about customers or applicants.
• Processing Information: Prepare cash for deposit or disbursement. Verify accuracy of financial or transactional data.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Calculate costs of goods or services.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.

Tellers Skills and Requirements:

• GraphicsWorking with pictures in graphics programs or other applications, including creating simple graphics, manipulating the appearance, and inserting graphics into other programs.
• Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Instructing Teaching others how to do something.
• Science Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• 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.
• InternetNavigating the Internet to find information, including the ability to open and configure standard browsers; use searches, hypertext references, and transfer protocols; and send and retrieve electronic mail (e-mail).
• Management of Material Resources Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
• Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Operations Analysis Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

Tellers Education and Training:

Typical education for include: High school diploma or equivalent.

Tellers Salary, Wages, and Salary and Job Outlook

Tellers average pay is: $36380 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employees who work in Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities are the highest paid making $19.35, while Nondepository Credit Intermediation make the least at $16.54 per hour.Here are the top city/metro areas with the highest paying salaries for a Tellers: