Bank Teller job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$43,030

BLS May 2025

1. Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts and calculate daily transactions, using computers, calculators, or adding machines. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Monitor bank vaults to ensure cash balances are correct. importance 4.8 of 5
4. Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds. importance 4.8 of 5
5. 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. importance 4.7 of 5
6. Enter customers' transactions into computers to record transactions and issue computer-generated receipts. importance 4.7 of 5
7. 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. importance 4.7 of 5
8. Resolve problems or discrepancies concerning customers' accounts. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Prepare and verify cashier's checks. importance 4.6 of 5
10. Process transactions, such as term deposits, retirement savings plan contributions, automated teller transactions, night deposits, and mail deposits. importance 4.6 of 5
11. Answer telephones and assist customers with their questions. importance 4.6 of 5
12. Identify transaction mistakes when debits and credits do not balance. importance 4.5 of 5
13. Carry out special services for customers, such as ordering bank cards and checks. importance 4.4 of 5
14. Sort and file deposit slips and checks. importance 4.4 of 5
15. Receive and count daily inventories of cash, drafts, and travelers' checks. importance 4.4 of 5
16. Order a supply of cash to meet daily needs. importance 4.3 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Working with Computers, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Count, verify, and post armored car deposits.
• Obtain and process information required for the provision of services, such as opening accounts, savings plans, and purchasing bonds.
• Perform clerical tasks, such as typing, filing, and microfilm photography.
• Compute financial fees, interest, and service charges.
• Compose, type, and mail customer statements and other correspondence related to issues such as discrepancies and outstanding unpaid items.
• Process and maintain records of customer loans.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Mathematics, Economics and Accounting and Public Safety and Security.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a bank teller.

Most bank tellers surveyed by O*NET (73%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Bank Teller
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Bank Teller to receive and pay out money.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and social perceptiveness
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Office software or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $43,030 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $20.69. BLS estimates about 329,480 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of bank tellers to decline 13.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 26,800 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full bank teller salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real bank teller posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only bank teller work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking); bank teller interview questions turns them into practice questions.