Loan Officer: Career Information

Loan Officer Job Description: Loan officers work for banks and other financial institutions. They help individuals and businesses obtain funds from these lenders. Loan officers specialize in commercial, consumer and mortgage loans.

Employment Facts About Loan Officers: Loan officers held approximately 373,000 jobs in 2006.

Educational Requirements for Loan Officers: To work as a loan officer one must generally have a bachelor's degree in finance, economics or a related field.

Other Requirements for Loan Officers: Job candidates for loan officer positions should be familiar with computers and their applications in banking. While there are currently no specific licensing requirements for loan officers working in banks or credit unions, training and licensing requirements for loan officers who work in mortgage banks or brokerages vary by state. These criteria also may vary depending on whether workers are employed by a mortgage bank or mortgage brokerage.

Advancement of Loan Officers: Capable loan officers, once experienced, may move to larger branches of their firms or to managerial positions. Some may eventually supervise other loan officers and clerical staff.

Job Outlook for Loan Officers: Employment of loan officers is projected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2016. Those with college degrees or experience have the best prospects.

Earnings of Loan Officers: Median annual earnings of loan officers were $51,760 in 2006.

Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much loan officers and loan counselors currently earn in your city.

A Day in a Loan Officer's Life:

Loan Officers:

• find potential clients, individuals or businesses, in need of loans;
• specialize in commercial, consumer, or mortgage loans;
• often act as salespeople, persuading clients to obtain loans from their institutions;
• help clients apply for loans;
• analyze and verify the application to determine the client's creditworthiness;

*This is the most recent year for which this information is available.

Information courtesy of:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Loan Officers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos018.htm (visited March 11, 2008).