Job Description

A bank teller is responsible for various activities that are involved with a customer’s bank account. These activities include but are not limited to: making deposits, making withdrawals, cashing payroll checks, and exchanging foreign currency. Most bank tellers work 40 hours a week, for 8 hours a day. The hours depend on the individual institution, but bank hours usually vary between 8am and 5pm.

Average Salary

Due to the low requirements needed to become a bank teller, a bank teller’s salary is usually between $22,000 and $26,000 annually. Bank teller’s salaries are not universal, and this is for several reasons, such as geographic location and experience.

Geographic Location

Some cities have a higher cost of living than other cities, which means that the minimum wage and overall salary is higher in these parts of the country. High cost of living shows that the economic growth is relatively high, and this growth drives up prices for basic necessities such as housing and food. Thus, salary is higher to compensate for this.

Experience

If you are just getting hired as a bank teller into a company, the starting salary will be lower than if you have been a bank teller for several years. A seasoned bank teller has more experience and will consequently earn more money than someone who just started out. In addition, if you choose to specialize in a certain task, such as processing loans, then you have the opportunity to earn more money.

Opportunities for Advancement

Although base salary is between $22,000 and $26,000, bank tellers will often receive bonuses and pay raises. This can add up to over $1,000 to their base salary. Also, there is opportunity for advancement. For example, if you have been a bank teller for 10 years and are excelling at your job, your employer may offer you a position as an FSR, which is a Financial Service Representative. FSRs open accounts for clients, and they make around $30,000 or higher as a salary.

A bank teller works in a financial institution and carries out duties for clients such as depositing and cashing out checks. They also exchange foreign currency and issue traveler’s checks. They have various job duties and are responsible for handling thousands of dollars on a daily basis. Society relies on them to handle all of their banking needs, so, here are some tips on how to become a bank teller.

1) Have the Necessary Skills

Banks look for bank tellers who have excellent customer service and money-handling skills. If you have had a prior job before that has given you experience in both or either one of these skills, then you will be an ideal candidate. You must be able to deal with a plethora of different clients on a day-to-day basis, and some of them may be quite rude to you and complain. However, you need to maintain a professional demeanor and quickly help the client.

2) High School Degree

Oftentimes, you do not need anything higher than a high school degree or GED in order to become a bank teller. This makes it a good career path to follow for those who have not gone to college.

3) Extra Skills

Although having basic skills will get you hired, having extra qualifications will give you more of an advantage over other candidates. For example, having a higher education background like an associate’s or bachelor’s degree will make you more desirable. In addition, being bi-lingual (especially in the Spanish language) is a skill that puts you in at an advantage.

4) Application Process

If you possess these skills and requirements, then you are a perfect candidate for a position as a bank teller! The next step is looking for banks that are hiring, and then wowing your future employer during the interviewing process.

There is an extremely high chance that you have been to a bank at least one time in your life, whether it was accompanying your mom when you were a kid while running errands, or as an adult when you deposited your first big-kid paycheck. The (usually) nice lady or gentleman who took your check and put it in your bank account has the job title of a bank teller.

What is a Bank Teller?

A bank teller is a person who makes deposits for their clients, gives customers cash from their accounts when they request it, exchanges foreign currency, issues traveler’s checks, and gives customers access to their safety deposit boxes. They have a lot of duties to uphold, and they need to have a good grasp on handling money in order to perform their jobs.

Job Responsibilities

They are held responsible for all of the transactions that they process and must keep a record of everything that they do. When they arrive at work in the morning, they have a cash drawer and must count how much they started with initially, and at the end of the day they must count the money in the drawer again. They fill out a form called a “settlement,” which keeps a detailed record of all of the transactions that were processed during the day. Before being allowed to go home, the settlement sheet balance must equal the balance that is in the drawer. If it is not balanced, then the teller has to figure out the mistake that occurred and fix it before he or she can leave.

Some tellers specialize in certain tasks, such as loan processing or only depositing money that will go into a savings account. This occurs mostly in large banks due to the high number of clients who have accounts.

Work Environment

They work in all types of banks, from federally owned banks to small banks to large corporate banks. Their hours depend on the bank’s operating hours, which are usually between the hours of 8 and 5, and they often are open for an additional hour on Fridays. This is due to most people getting their paychecks on Friday and come to the bank as soon as they get off of work. Some tellers work at the window inside the bank and help the people waiting in line, and some of them take care of the customers who bank through the drive-through.

Potential Dangers

Bank tellers have a large responsibility and are held accountable for any mistake that could be detrimental to a client. For example, if a teller enters the wrong amount of money into or out of an account, then the client could overdraft their account and be faced with overdraft fees. In addition, bank tellers have to deal with their safety. Banks are prone to being robbed, and tellers are trained on how to handle themselves if that unfortunate situation were to occur.