SOC 43-3071

Tellers AI displacement risk

Routine transactions left for apps and ATMs years ago, and AI assistants now absorb the service questions that justified remaining branch staff. Banks are converting teller lines into advisory roles, so the realistic path is upward into banker, lending, or operations tracks rather than defending the window.

Exposure72

Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.

Automation58%

Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.

Risk bandHigh

Branches retain tellers for cash-intensive businesses, older customers, and trust-sensitive moments like fraud. Decline is steady rather than sudden, which leaves time to transition deliberately.

Distribution

Where Tellers sits across 620 tracked roles

Tellers · 76050100

Displacement pressure 76 — higher than 96% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.

Score version

This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-06-12. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.

28 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 43-3071. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.

Median wage context: $43,030 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 43-3071.

Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.

2030 economic stress test

How Anthropic's scenarios classify Tellers

SOC 43-3071 places this role in the paper's cognitive occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 76/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.

Modest change

+0.4% group wage

-0.5% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 2.9% cognitive unemployment.

Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.

Substantial change

-0.3% group wage

-3.9% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 4.5% cognitive unemployment.

Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.

Extreme change

-11.5% group wage

-21.5% cognitive employment since mid-2026; 17.9% cognitive unemployment.

Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.

Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.

Official task evidence

O*NET task matches for Tellers

The current evidence import matched 28 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.

Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks28
SOC43-3071
  • Core task / ID 2549

    Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts and calculate daily transactions, using computers, calculators, or adding machines.

  • Core task / ID 2551

    Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips.

  • Core task / ID 2563

    Monitor bank vaults to ensure cash balances are correct.

  • Core task / ID 2550

    Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds.

  • Core task / ID 2554

    Count currency, coins, and checks received, by hand or using currency-counting machine, to prepare them for deposit or shipment to branch banks or the Federal Reserve Bank.

  • Core task / ID 2553

    Enter customers' transactions into computers to record transactions and issue computer-generated receipts.

Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.

Task profile

Where AI changes the work

information

Process deposits and withdrawals

Exposure 92, automation 80%, augmentation 14%.

O*NET evidence: Process transactions, such as term deposits, retirement savings plan contributions, aut... (ID 2558)

information

Answer account service questions

Exposure 78, automation 58%, augmentation 36%.

O*NET evidence: Answer telephones and assist customers with their questions. (ID 21076)

compliance

Spot fraud and verify identity

Exposure 50, automation 26%, augmentation 60%.

social

Refer customers to banking products

Exposure 42, automation 16%, augmentation 56%.

O*NET evidence: Carry out special services for customers, such as ordering bank cards and checks. (ID 2569)

TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Process deposits and withdrawals9280%14%
Answer account service questions7858%36%
Spot fraud and verify identity5026%60%
Refer customers to banking products4216%56%

Transition pathways

Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills

role redesign

Universal Banker

Training horizon: 2-4 months. Skill overlap 80. Wage preservation signal 100.

  • Cross-train on account opening and lending intake
  • Earn an internal banker certification
  • Practice needs-based conversations
High
adjacent role

Loan Processing Specialist

Training horizon: 3-6 months. Skill overlap 66. Wage preservation signal 100.

  • Learn loan documentation requirements
  • Shadow a processor through five files
  • Build accuracy and compliance habits
High

Comparison guides

Compare the next move before you commit

What the AI risk score means for Tellers

The displacement pressure score for Tellers is 76. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.

For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Process deposits and withdrawals carries 80% automation pressure, while Spot fraud and verify identity carries 60% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.

Labor-market context and wage risk

Median wage: $43,030 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Long-declining branch workforce as transactions move digital. Typical education: High school diploma; on-the-job training.

Wage vulnerability is 80, while transition feasibility is 66. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.

  • Teller employment in long-run decline
  • Universal-banker conversions accelerating
  • Branch networks still shrinking

Upskilling priorities

Skills that make this role more resilient

The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Tellers, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.

Priority 1

Customer needs assessment

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

Priority 2

Fraud and verification vigilance

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

Priority 3

Banking product knowledge

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

Priority 4

Digital banking support

Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.

90-day transition plan

The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.

  1. In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
  2. By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Universal Banker, such as cross-train on account opening and lending intake.
  3. By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Universal Banker or Loan Processing Specialist and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.

FAQ

Questions about AI and Tellers

Will AI replace Tellers?

Routine transactions left for apps and ATMs years ago, and AI assistants now absorb the service questions that justified remaining branch staff. Banks are converting teller lines into advisory roles, so the realistic path is upward into banker, lending, or operations tracks rather than defending the window. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.

Which parts of Tellers work are most exposed to AI?

Process deposits and withdrawals and Answer account service questions show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Spot fraud and verify identity and Refer customers to banking products are better treated as AI-augmented work.

What should Tellers learn next?

Start with Customer needs assessment, Fraud and verification vigilance, Banking product knowledge. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Universal Banker and Loan Processing Specialist.

How should this score be used?

Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.

Sources

Evidence trail