Evaluate and approve loan applications, guiding borrowers through mortgages, business, or personal loans.
You may also see this posted as: Commercial Loan Officer, Financial Aid Counselor, Loan Counselor, Commercial Banker, Corporate Banking Officer, Financial Aid Advisor.
Banks and lending offices, some remote
Regular hours, some evenings for clients
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 4 of 5
High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
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 2.1% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Bachelor's degree
Training path: Moderate on-the-job training, paid.
Related work experience: Less than 5 years.
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
Mortgage loan officers must register with the national NMLS system and, in most states, hold a license.
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.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
You can start with a high school diploma and learn on the job, though pay often leans on commission.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 13-2072. 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.