Loan Interviewers and Clerks: Career Overview
Interview loan applicants to elicit information; investigate applicants' backgrounds and verify references; prepare loan request papers; and forward findings, reports, and documents to appraisal department. Review loan papers to ensure completeness, and complete transactions between loan establishment, borrowers, and sellers upon approval of loan.
Featured schools near , edit
The Daily Work of Loan Interviewers and Clerks Do?
The core tasks performed by loan interviewers and clerks cover:
- 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.
- File and maintain loan records.
- Contact credit bureaus, employers, and other sources to check applicants' credit and personal references.
- Check value of customer collateral to be held as loan security.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top loan interviewers and clerks rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Loan Interviewers and Clerks Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Closer
- Closing Agent
- Closing Coordinator
- Commercial Loan Processor
- Consumer Loan Processor
- Credit Clerk
- Disbursement Clerk
- Document Coordinator
Employment and Demand
There are about 1,822,876 loan interviewers and clerks working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +6.1% over the projection horizon.
Loan Interviewers and Clerks Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $55,652 |
| Hourly median | $26.76 |
| 10th percentile | $39,313 |
| 25th percentile | $47,482 |
| 75th percentile | $63,821 |
| 90th percentile | $71,991 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $77,730 |
| Delaware | $58,870 |
| Washington | $58,860 |
| Maryland | $58,260 |
| California | $57,790 |
| Connecticut | $57,680 |
| New York | $56,300 |
| New Hampshire | $55,620 |
| Massachusetts | $55,090 |
| Colorado | $53,120 |
| New Jersey | $52,760 |
| Rhode Island | $52,670 |
| Oregon | $51,890 |
| Nevada | $51,320 |
| Florida | $50,920 |
| Virginia | $50,910 |
| Alaska | $50,800 |
| Hawaii | $50,760 |
| North Dakota | $50,470 |
| Illinois | $50,330 |
| North Carolina | $50,100 |
| Minnesota | $50,070 |
| Ohio | $49,370 |
| Texas | $49,180 |
| Arizona | $48,910 |
| Vermont | $48,790 |
| Maine | $48,390 |
| Iowa | $48,390 |
| Michigan | $48,380 |
| Wisconsin | $48,020 |
| Montana | $47,840 |
| Missouri | $47,560 |
| Nebraska | $47,270 |
| Utah | $47,120 |
| Wyoming | $47,060 |
| Kentucky | $47,040 |
| Kansas | $46,940 |
| Indiana | $46,790 |
| Tennessee | $46,740 |
| Idaho | $46,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,050 |
| Georgia | $45,950 |
| Oklahoma | $45,540 |
| South Carolina | $45,210 |
| South Dakota | $44,930 |
| Louisiana | $44,860 |
| Alabama | $44,690 |
| Arkansas | $44,600 |
| New Mexico | $41,830 |
| West Virginia | $38,770 |
| Mississippi | $38,670 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,380 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for loan interviewers and clerks shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $56,778 | 12.2% | 0.73 |
| New England | $54,022 | 3.7% | 0.84 |
| Middle Atlantic | $52,904 | 8.8% | 0.64 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,424 | 4.8% | 1.22 |
| Great Lakes | $48,720 | 17.2% | 1.28 |
| Southwest | $48,535 | 17.6% | 1.42 |
| Plains States | $47,961 | 9.6% | 1.56 |
| Southeast | $47,699 | 25.7% | 1.09 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $66,320 | 760 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $63,070 | 1,810 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $61,330 | 1,570 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $61,160 | 80 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $61,120 | 110 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | WA | $60,150 | 160 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | NH | $60,010 | 200 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $59,900 | 30 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of loan interviewers and clerks are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Insurance | 146,110 | $48,760 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 11,520 | $50,230 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6,390 | $50,830 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,860 | $50,580 |
| Construction | 540 | $60,150 |
| Retail Trade | 500 | $48,820 |
| Educational Services | 400 | $51,620 |
| Information | 270 | $43,860 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Loan Interviewers and Clerks Use
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for loan interviewers and clerks reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Getting Started in This Career
Typical loan interviewers and clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Supplemental)
- Credit Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Personal Financial Advisors (Supplemental)
- Insurance Underwriters (Supplemental)
- Financial Examiners (Supplemental)
- Credit Counselors (Primary-Short)
- Loan Officers (Primary-Short)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Aspiring loan interviewers and clerks often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-4131.00 (Loan Interviewers and Clerks).