Career
Loan officers
Help people and businesses borrow for homes, cars and growth.
$76,690
Median pay
+1.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
17,100
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Meet with applicants to obtain information for loan applications and to answer questions about the process.
- Analyze applicants' financial status, credit, and property evaluations to determine feasibility of granting loans.
- Approve loans within specified limits, and refer loan applications outside those limits to management for approval.
- Explain to customers the different types of loans and credit options that are available, as well as the terms of those services.
- Submit applications to credit analysts for verification and recommendation.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then persuasion & leadership?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Meet with applicants to obtain information for loan applications and to answer questions about the process.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $76,690 a year and 17,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- FinanceSee the degree →
- Finance, GeneralCIP 52.0801
- Credit ManagementCIP 52.0809
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks$50,020 · -2.4%
- Credit Counselors$52,230 · +3.3%
- Credit Analysts$83,510 · -4.3%
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks$50,080 · -7.4%
- Personal Financial Advisors$105,070 · +1.4%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.