All careersBusiness & finance

Loan Clerk

$50,020
median / year
$37,330 – $69,770
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Process loan applications, verify financial details, prepare paperwork, and guide applicants through the steps.

You may also see this posted as: Licensed Loan Officer Assistant, Loan Analyst, Loan Processor, Mortgage Loan Processor, Closer, Loan Closer.

Where you work

Banks, credit unions, and lender offices

The hours

Regular weekday business hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Verify and examine information and accuracy of loan application and closing documents.
  • Assemble and compile documents for loan closings, such as title abstracts, insurance forms, loan forms, and tax receipts.
  • Record applications for loan and credit, loan information, and disbursements of funds, using computers.
  • Submit loan applications with recommendation for underwriting approval.
  • Contact customers by mail, telephone, or in person concerning acceptance or rejection of applications.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityCautiousnessIntegrity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Access

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$50,020
per year
Hourly median
$24.05
per hour
What most earn
$37,330–$69,770
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~13,300
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
-2.3%
Declining
Working in the U.S.
164,790
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 0.9% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: On-the-job training, paid.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Attention to detailData entryCustomer serviceRecordkeeping

The honest take

Handles the paperwork behind loans — stable bank office work, though automation is slowly trimming these roles.

Standard Occupational Classification 43-4131. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.