Financial Clerks

How to become a Teller

Official title: Tellers

Also called: Account Representative, Bank Teller, Branch Operations Specialist, Customer Relationship Specialist, Customer Service Associate (CSA), Financial Services Representative (FSR), Member Services Representative, Personal Banking Representative, Roving Teller, Teller

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

Main tasks

Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts and calculate daily transactions, using computers, calculators, or adding machines.
Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips.
Monitor bank vaults to ensure cash balances are correct.
Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds.
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.
Enter customers' transactions into computers to record transactions and issue computer-generated receipts.
Examine checks for endorsements and to verify other information, such as dates, bank names, identification of the persons receiving payments, and the legality of the documents.
Resolve problems or discrepancies concerning customers' accounts.

How to become one

To enter the occupation, tellers typically need a high school diploma; they also may need to pass a background check. Once hired, they receive training on the job.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Teller (Financial).
Licence: A licence is required in 9 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $43,030 a year The middle half earn $37,040 to $46,580.
About 339,200 people work in this job now, and about 294,500 are projected by 2035. (-13.2%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Teller?

To enter the occupation, tellers typically need a high school diploma; they also may need to pass a background check. Once hired, they receive training on the job.

How much does a Teller earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $43,030 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,040 to $46,580.

Is a Teller a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 13% by 2035, from about 339,200 to about 294,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Teller?

Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Teller (Financial).

Will AI change the work of a Teller?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.