Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Loan interviewers and clerks support the lending process and interact closely with customers and financial information. This career combines customer-facing work with attention to detail, mathematics, and computer use. Nationally, there are about 178,000 jobs in this occupation, with a typical entry point of a high school diploma or equivalent, making it accessible to many job seekers. The role relies on strong customer service, speaking and listening, and writing and reading skills, along with problem solving and decision making. Critical and analytical thinking, adaptability, and being detail oriented are also important, as loan information and documentation must be handled accurately. While national employment is projected to decline slightly, there are still thousands of annual openings, creating ongoing opportunities for new entrants and career changers. For people who enjoy working with customers, handling information, and using computers and information technology in a structured environment, loan interviewing and clerical work can offer a stable and skill-based career path.
Loan interviewers and clerks earn a national median annual salary of $48,950. Within this overall picture, certain states and metro areas show higher median pay. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $56,760 in Colorado to $58,940 in Massachusetts, all above the national median. New York, Washington, and California also offer median salaries above $56,000 for this occupation. At the metro level, several areas stand out with even higher median earnings. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a median salary of $62,530, while San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ are also above $60,000. These figures suggest that workers who are geographically flexible, especially those considering specific high-opportunity metros and states, may find stronger earning potential while still working within the same occupation and skill set.
Loan interviewers and clerks have national employment of about 178,000 positions. Projected employment growth for this occupation is -2.3%, indicating a modest decline in total employment over the projection period. Even with this decline, there are an estimated 13,000 annual openings nationally. This combination means that while overall job numbers are expected to decrease slightly, there is still ongoing hiring activity. The annual openings can reflect replacement needs as workers retire, change careers, or move to other roles. For job seekers, this suggests that opportunities will continue to exist, but competition and selectivity may vary by employer and region. The consistent growth figure of -2.3% also appears in many of the top states and metros, signaling a similar overall demand pattern. People entering the field should focus on building strong customer service, analytical, and computer skills to remain competitive in a labor market that is steady in openings but not expanding in total employment.
Geography plays a significant role in the opportunity landscape for loan interviewers and clerks. Among states, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington rank highest by opportunity score. California leads with an opportunity score of 67.38, median salary of $57,300, and employment of 14,680, offering both a relatively large job base and solid pay. Massachusetts and New York follow closely with opportunity scores around 66 and median salaries near or above $58,000, though with smaller employment totals than California. Colorado and Washington also provide notable opportunities, with median salaries above $56,000 and mid-sized employment levels. Several metro areas stand out even more strongly. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ have the highest opportunity scores, both over 77, and median salaries above $60,000. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also combine relatively high salaries with solid opportunity scores, making them attractive regions to consider.
The typical education requirement for loan interviewers and clerks is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the occupation accessible to individuals who may not have a college degree but are ready to build a strong skill set. Success in this field relies heavily on key competencies rather than advanced formal education alone. Core skills include customer service, speaking and listening, and interpersonal abilities, which support daily interactions with clients and colleagues. Mathematics, problem solving and decision making, and critical and analytical thinking help with understanding financial information and making sound judgments. Writing and reading skills are important for handling documentation, while computers and information technology skills are essential for working with digital systems. Being detail oriented and adaptable further supports accuracy and efficiency. Together, these skills provide a path for advancement and long-term employability within loan interviewing and related clerical roles, even without higher-level academic credentials.
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