Bank tellers are called various names like bank clerk, cashier, customer service representative (CSR), financial services representative (FSR), or simply a teller, and their role involves handling cash transactions, processing deposits/withdrawals, and assisting with basic banking needs, with the term "teller" deriving from the old English for "one who counts" money.
Today, the Cambridge English Dictionary still lists the noun “teller” and defines it as “a person employed in a bank to receive and pay out money.” For many years, role of the teller was primarily to receive, count, and dispense cash—very different from the role of today's customer associate.
While more than 340,000 teller positions still exist, employment in the role has declined nearly 30% since 2010, and job postings have dropped by almost two-thirds. Tellers today also struggle to climb the career ladder: only 4% transition into higher-paying roles like loan officers.
The credit intermediation and related activities industry includes banks and credit unions, where tellers are primarily employed.
The lowest posts in a bank are generally entry-level roles like Bank Teller, Bank Clerk, or Customer Service Representative, often requiring a high school diploma, focusing on basic transactions, data entry, and customer assistance, serving as the foundation for banking careers before advancing to roles like Loan Officer or Analyst.
In some places, this employee is known as a cashier or customer representative. Tellers also deal with routine customer service at a branch.
The rise of online and mobile banking allows customers to handle many transactions traditionally performed by tellers, such as depositing checks. As more people use these tools, fewer bank customers will visit the teller window. This will result in decreased demand for tellers.
The average salary for a teller is $18.72 per hour in the United States. 13.5k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated January 11, 2026).
As an entry-level position, bank tellers generally do not need much more than a high school diploma, though holding a college degree or taking some college courses can improve their employability as well as their upward mobility.
He became a high-school Latin teacher. At some point, Teller legally changed his name to the mononym Teller, his family surname.
A bank teller's salary in the U.S. averages around $36,000 to $39,000 annually (about $17-$19/hour), but varies significantly by location, experience, and employer, with ranges from roughly $25,000 to over $45,000 for most positions, and higher for top earners or in high-cost areas, according to January 2026 data from Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter, Indeed.
According to Penandthepad.com, the term “teller” is from the Olde English, meaning “to count”. Okay, that makes sense. The person behind the counter “counts” the money that is being exchanged. While customers still call them “tellers”, most financial institutions have moved away from using the term.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $48,851 and as low as $24,673, the majority of Bank Teller salaries currently range between $31,600 (25th percentile) to $39,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $44,904 annually in California.
an employee of a bank who receives and pays out money. synonyms: bank clerk, cashier. banker.
Yes, Bank of America raised its U.S. minimum hourly wage to $25 an hour, effective October 2025, fulfilling a commitment to reach that level by 2025, impacting both full-time and part-time hourly employees. This increase boosts the starting salary for full-time workers to over $50,000 annually, continuing a trend of significant wage growth from $15 in 2017.
Depositing $2,000 in cash isn't inherently suspicious and is well below the $10,000 reporting threshold for banks, but it can raise flags if it's part of a pattern (structuring), inconsistent with your normal income, or involves other red flags like frequent large cash deposits from others, leading to a potential Suspicious Activity Report (SAR). To avoid issues, have clear records for the cash's source, like invoices or sales receipts, especially if you deal in cash often.
Key Takeaways. Two small banks, each with a single branch, failed in 2025. Five credit unions were also shuttered by regulators this year. Bank failures are generally uncommon, with only a few occurring in a typical year.
The 7 Ps of banking are an extension of the traditional marketing mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) adapted for services, adding People, Process, and Physical Evidence to guide strategy and improve customer satisfaction, covering everything from account types and fees to staff training, service delivery steps, and branch ambiance. These elements help banks effectively market intangible financial services in a competitive environment, ensuring a comprehensive approach to customer needs.
Partial automation can make workers more productive, making employers hire more But here's the twist: today, bank clerk employment is in decline. Partial automation (ATMs) increased employment. But more complete automation (online banking) eventually decreased it.
Bank tellers generally wear professional, or corporate casual clothing with a name tag.