How to hire a branch lending officer

How to hire a branch lending officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step branch lending officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a branch lending officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new branch lending officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a branch lending officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The branch lending officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect branch lending officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of branch lending officer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Branch Lending Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Branch Lending Officer	Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses.	$13-35
   Closer	The duties of a closer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to ensure that they understand and adhere to all terms of the agreement, completing all requirements and necessary documents, and maintaining records of all transactions... Show more	$9-19
   Mortgage Consultant	A mortgage consultant is a professional who helps customers and businesses identify the best option for mortgage deals based on their financial resources. To maintain an excellent relationship with clients, mortgage consultants must possess a broad knowledge of the company's products to answer all the clients' queries and concerns... Show more	$11-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Business Relationships
   • Origination
   • FHA
   • Mortgage Loans
   • Loan Products
   • Customer Service
   • Credit Data
   • HMDA
   • Financial Services
   • Credit History
   • Cash Flow
   • Loan Portfolio
   • Loan Applications
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage financial resources from budget, treasury, expenditure commitments, accounting and finance, report from different departments to donors/stakeholders.
   • Obtain unique identifier with the NMLS.
   • Train in FNMA and FHLMC retention, including producing and production staff.
   • Originate and process conventional/VA loans in compliance with FNMA, FHLMC, and non-conforming investor guidelines.
   • Review and evaluate both credit packages and appraisal to determine credit worthiness and compliance to FHA guidelines.
   • Maximize margin by upselling customers.

   More branch lending officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your branch lending officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A branch lending officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, branch lending officers' average salary in indiana is 37% less than in new mexico.
   • Seniority. Entry-level branch lending officers earn 60% less than senior-level branch lending officers.
   • Certifications. A branch lending officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a branch lending officer's salary.

   Average branch lending officer salary

   $46,615yearly

   $22.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level branch lending officer salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average branch lending officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$62,621	$30
   2	Washington	$60,215	$29
   3	Massachusetts	$60,198	$29
   4	Rhode Island	$59,814	$29
   5	New York	$58,213	$28
   6	Iowa	$55,424	$27
   7	Connecticut	$55,355	$27
   8	Florida	$52,974	$25
   9	Texas	$51,418	$25
   10	Michigan	$49,328	$24
   11	Illinois	$48,871	$24
   12	New Jersey	$48,392	$23
   13	California	$48,141	$23
   14	Virginia	$46,723	$22
   15	Georgia	$45,919	$22
   16	Kentucky	$45,583	$22
   17	South Carolina	$45,524	$22
   18	Alaska	$42,879	$21
   19	North Carolina	$41,808	$20
   20	Colorado	$41,653	$20

   Average branch lending officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$98,017	$47.12	64
   2	First Hawaiian Bank	$84,223	$40.49	4
   3	Comerica	$76,711	$36.88
   4	Enterprise Bank	$74,944	$36.03	13
   5	GPAC	$70,149	$33.73
   6	BankNewport	$69,727	$33.52	1
   7	Bank of America	$69,042	$33.19	186
   8	Wells Fargo	$67,475	$32.44	258
   9	Umpqua Bank	$64,846	$31.18	19
   10	Metropolitan Bank	$64,619	$31.07	3
   11	MRI The Boston Group	$60,349	$29.01
   12	loanDepot	$59,834	$28.77	27
   13	BNP Paribas	$55,442	$26.65	1
   14	The Apollo Group	$54,921	$26.40	1
   15	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$54,362	$26.14	417
   16	International Finance Bank	$54,362	$26.14
   17	American Bancorp	$53,260	$25.61
   18	Wintrust Financial	$52,748	$25.36	15
   19	United Bank	$52,581	$25.28	27
   20	Credit Union 1	$52,472	$25.23	1

4. Writing a branch lending officer job description

   A branch lending officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a branch lending officer job description:

   Branch lending officer job description example

   The Commercial Lending Officer is responsible for soliciting, negotiating, underwriting and coordinating the closing of complex consumer, residential, equipment, SBA, construction, commercial building and business loans in compliance with the Bank’s lending policies and procedures. This position will be focused on developing the bank’s C&I portfolio; develops business checking and deposit relationships with customers; and promotes business for the Bank by maintaining good customer relations and referring customers to appropriate staff for new services. The position of Commercial Lending Officer assists in attaining established Bank, region and branch goals through active participation in sales management and officer call programs, and is expected to provide leadership, training and support to less experienced loan officers and other staff members.
   
   Assures compliance with all Bank policies and procedures, as well as all applicable state and federal banking regulations.
   
   1. Manages a portfolio of clients as well as engages in business development activities and solicitation of new business.
   
   2. Thinks like businesspeople and builds winning relationships with existing clients as well as prospects and business owners in our community. Serve as a valued advisor to the client by developing a comprehensive product offering customized to their banking/lending needs. Partner with Branch Managers to enhance the client relationship.
   
   3. Interviews prospective applicants and requests specified information related to loan or credit application. Performs pre-qualification assessment and analysis of financial condition and risk of financing requests within framework of Bank credit culture and current economic and industry trends.
   
   4. Gathers and analyzes all information necessary to present a financing request to Senior Management or Loan Committee for approval; meets with existing or potential customers; visiting sites of loans; negotiates loan terms and conditions; refers and recommends acceptance to the Loan Committee.
   5. Coordinates processing of approved loans. 6. Represents the Bank in various community, civic, and community reinvestment functions to further enhance the Bank’s image and develop additional business; assists the Bank in establishing and maintaining market position in the financing arena. 7. Cross sells the Bank’s other products and services, referring customers to appropriate staff as indicated. Works closely with Branch Managers to enhance client relationship with the Bank. 8. Assists in meeting annual deposit and loan growth goals assigned by senior management; participates in various internal committees assigned by senior management. 9. Assists Senior Management with developing, analyzing and finalizing complex loan agreements with representatives of large businesses.
   MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Bachelor’s degree (BA) or equivalent from a college or university; 10 or more years of related experience and/or training; or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Work related experience should consist of a financial analyzing or lending background. Educational experience, through in-house training sessions, formal school or financial industry related curriculum, should be business or financial industry related. Advanced experience, knowledge and training in financial statement and tax return analysis typically resulting from a combination of education in accounting, financial and/or credit analysis or related areas. Advanced experience, knowledge and training in all lending activities and terminology. Advanced knowledge of commercial, construction, real estate and consumer loan processing. Advanced knowledge of related state and federal lending and compliance regulations, and other Bank lending policies. Intermediate skills in computer terminal and personal computer operation; mainframe computer system; word processing, Excel spreadsheets and specialty software programs. Current driver’s license and a vehicle with appropriate insurance coverage if required to drive while performing assigned duties and responsibilities. The ability to fluently speak and write in a second language, such as Spanish, is preferred.
   Apollo Bank is Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
   EOE/M/F/Vets/Disabled

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right branch lending officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with branch lending officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit branch lending officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your branch lending officer job on Zippia to find and attract quality branch lending officer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit branch lending officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new branch lending officer

   Once you've selected the best branch lending officer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new branch lending officer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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