An entry-level teller at a bank or credit union — handling deposits, withdrawals, check cashing, loan payments, and the daily cash transactions that define front-line retail banking. The most common entry point into a banking career.
Most days tend to involve processing customer transactions — deposits, withdrawals, check cashing, loan payments, money orders — alongside the steady customer service work of answering questions and routing more complex needs to bankers. You'll often start the day counting your drawer, balance to your transactions at end of day, and follow careful cash handling and compliance procedures throughout shifts.
The variance between institutions is real — community banks and credit unions tend to emphasize relationship continuity and longer-term member service; major banks operate with more transaction volume and structured sales-referral expectations; private banks serve specific clientele with higher-touch tellers; online-only banks have no traditional teller role. Cash handling discipline and BSA awareness (CTR thresholds, SAR triggers) are core.
People who tend to thrive here are customer-service oriented, comfortable with cash handling and the routine rhythm of transaction processing, and patient with the entry-level pay and standing-on-feet shift work. The role is a foundational entry point into banking — relationship banker, personal banker, branch leadership, and beyond. The trade-off is the modest pay and structured environment, but the foundation in banking products and customer service transfers across financial services.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
An entry-level teller at a bank or credit union — handling deposits, withdrawals, check cashing, loan payments, and the daily cash transactions that define front-line retail banking. The most common entry point into a banking career.
Median pay for a Junior Financial Teller is about $39K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $31K to $48K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, and Service Orientation.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 12.9% through 2034, with roughly 339,340 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Financial Teller, Account Representative, and Cashier.
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