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Lender vs escrow officer

The differences between lenders and escrow officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a lender and an escrow officer. Additionally, an escrow officer has an average salary of $50,270, which is higher than the $37,723 average annual salary of a lender.

The top three skills for a lender include customer service, loan applications and business development. The most important skills for an escrow officer are customer service, HOA, and title insurance.

Lender vs escrow officer overview

LenderEscrow Officer
Yearly salary$37,723$50,270
Hourly rate$18.14$24.17
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs6,46562,077
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4545
Years of experience66

What does a lender do?

A Lender is a financial institution, an individual, or a private or public group that provides loans to a business or an individual. As a lender, you will evaluate a borrower's creditworthiness by assessing loan applications. You will be responsible for determining an applicant's financial eligibility and all applicable metrics and ratios. Other duties might include setting up plans for debt payment, counseling clients on restrictions and policies, and maintaining and updating account records. Also, you will need to update your knowledge on the different loan types and financial services.

What does an escrow officer do?

Escrow officers, commonly known as loan officers, are responsible for real estate processing and finalizing deals. They ensure all documents are authentic and prepared, property titles are clear, and financial obligations have been thoroughly met by the buyer and seller. They verify the document of land ownership, checking property title, and consulting with potential buyers, sellers, and lending firms. It is also their responsibility to handle the deposition of funds and processing of legal documents, including paperwork to finalize the transaction.

Lender vs escrow officer salary

Lenders and escrow officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

LenderEscrow Officer
Average salary$37,723$50,270
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $55,000Between $36,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAWalnut Creek, CA
Highest paying stateSouth DakotaNew Mexico
Best paying companyCitiFidelity National Financial
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between lender and escrow officer education

There are a few differences between a lender and an escrow officer in terms of educational background:

LenderEscrow Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Lender vs escrow officer demographics

Here are the differences between lenders' and escrow officers' demographics:

LenderEscrow Officer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 49.2% Female, 50.8%Male, 14.9% Female, 85.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 6.2% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between lender and escrow officer duties and responsibilities

Lender example responsibilities.

  • Manage a multifacete commercial real estate investment firm.
  • Coordinate the real estate transactions including appraisals, inspections, loan origination and timely closing.
  • Point of contact between external company affiliate loan origination branches and licensing agencies.
  • Complete quarterly updates on all regulations and requirements to maintain NMLS nationwide licensing program.
  • Work directly with consumers as well as real estate agents, CPA's and attorneys.

Escrow officer example responsibilities.

  • Manage escrow department for title insurance company.
  • Perform closing for a variety of real estate escrows types, including but not limit to REO resale and resale escrows.
  • Operate multi-line phone system and perform basic office procedures.
  • Prepare closing documents, close escrow, TRID CD, clear title.
  • Order conveyance deeds and other pertinent documents from outside vendors.
  • Prepare documents to be record with county and return to mortgage company for conveyance.
  • Show more

Lender vs escrow officer skills

Common lender skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Loan Applications, 8%
  • Business Development, 6%
  • Bank Products, 6%
  • Origination, 6%
  • Loan Portfolio, 5%
Common escrow officer skills
  • Customer Service, 23%
  • HOA, 6%
  • Title Insurance, 6%
  • Notary, 5%
  • Develop Client Relationships, 5%
  • Real Estate Transactions, 5%

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