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Career Handbook - Banking Occupations
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Occupations

Office and administrative support occupations account for nearly 7 out of 10 jobs in the banking industry (table 2). Bank tellers, the largest number of workers in banking, provide routine financial services to the public. They handle customers' deposits and withdrawals, change money, sell money orders and traveler's checks, and accept payment for loans and utility bills. Increasingly, tellers also are selling bank services to customers. New accounts clerks and customer service representatives answer questions from customers, and help them open and close accounts and fill out forms to apply for banking services. They are knowledgeable about a broad array of bank services and must be able to sell those services to potential clients. Some customer service representatives work in a call or customer contact center environment, taking phone calls and answering emails from customers. In addition to responding to inquiries, these workers also help customers over the phone with routine banking transactions and handle and resolve problems or complaints.

Loan and credit clerks assemble and prepare paperwork, process applications, and complete the documentation after a loan or line of credit has been approved. They also verify applications for completeness. Bill and account collectors attempt to collect payments on overdue loans. Many general office clerks and bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are employed to maintain financial records, enter data, and process the thousands of deposit slips, checks, and other documents that banks handle daily. Banks also employ many secretaries, data entry and information processing workers, receptionists, and other office and administrative support workers. Office and administrative support worker supervisors and managers oversee the activities and training of workers in the various administrative support occupations.

Management, business, and financial occupations account for about 25 percent of employment in the banking industry. Financial managers direct bank branches and departments, resolve customers' problems, ensure that standards of service are maintained, and administer the institutions' operations and investments. Loan officers evaluate loan applications, determine an applicant's ability to pay back a loan, and recommend approval of loans. They usually specialize in commercial, consumer, or mortgage lending. When loans become delinquent, loan officers, or loan counselors, may advise borrowers on the management of their finances or take action to collect outstanding amounts. Loan officers also play a major role in bringing in new business and spend much of their time developing relationships with potential customers. Trust officers manage a variety of assets that were placed in trust with the bank for other people or organizations; these assets can include pension funds, school endowments, or a company's profit-sharing plan. Sometimes, trust officers act as executors of estates upon a person's death. They also may work as accountants, lawyers, and investment managers.

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents, who make up the majority of sales positions in banks, sell complex banking services. They contact potential customers to explain their services and to ascertain the customer's banking and other financial needs. They also may discuss services such as deposit accounts, lines of credit, sales or inventory financing, certificates of deposit, cash management, or investment services. These sales agents also solicit businesses to participate in consumer credit card programs. At most small and medium-size banks, however, branch managers and commercial loan officers are responsible for marketing the bank's financial services.

Other occupations used widely by banks to maintain financial records and ensure the bank's compliance with Federal and State regulations are accountants and auditors, and lawyers. In addition, computer specialists are needed to maintain and upgrade the bank's computer systems and to implement the bank's entry into the world of electronic banking and paperless transactions.
 

Table 2. Employment of wage and salary workers in banking by occupation, 2002 and projected change, 2002-12
(Employment in thousands)
Occupation Employment, 2002 Percent
change,2002-
2012
Number Percent
All occupations 1,761 100.0 6.4
Management, business, and financial occupations 445 25.3 11.6

Chief executives

17 1.0 9.5

General and operations managers

43 2.5 6.4

Marketing and sales managers

13 0.7 14.0

Computer and information systems managers

9 0.5 17.6

Financial managers

81 4.6 9.4

Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists

12 0.7 12.5

Management analysts

11 0.6 9.5

Accountants and auditors

22 1.2 8.9

Credit analysts

13 0.8 9.4

Financial analysts

17 1.0 30.2

Personal financial advisors

15 0.9 29.7

Loan counselors

6 0.4 7.6

Loan officers

97 5.5 10.8
Professional and related occupations 69 3.9 14.1

Computer programmers

9 0.5 -5.3

Computer software engineers

9 0.5 20.9

Computer support specialists

10 0.5 9.5

Computer systems analysts

11 0.7 20.1
Sales and related occupations 65 3.7 15.5

Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents

41 2.3 20.4
Office and administrative support occupations 1,162 66.0 3.4

First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers

99 5.6 -2.1

Bill and account collectors

21 1.2 13.5

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

55 3.1 -1.6

Tellers

467 26.5 9.2

Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks

14 0.8 -13.9

Customer service representatives

112 6.3 20.3

Loan interviewers and clerks

72 4.1 -19.3

New accounts clerks

86 4.9 9.4

Executive secretaries and administrative assistants

42 2.4 -2.1

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive

17 1.0 -15.5

Office clerks, general

53 3.0 -4.7

NOTE: May not add to totals due to omission of occupations with small employment.


 

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Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition