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Lender vs loan administrator

The differences between lenders and loan administrators 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 a loan administrator. Additionally, a loan administrator has an average salary of $42,859, 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 a loan administrator are customer service, data entry, and loan administration.

Lender vs loan administrator overview

LenderLoan Administrator
Yearly salary$37,723$42,859
Hourly rate$18.14$20.61
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs6,46563,708
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 a loan administrator do?

A Loan Administrator is a person that takes care of all the documentation part of the loan process. Loans require a lot of documents and requirements, and a loan administrator is a person that helps the client accomplish all these requirements. It is also their job to help clients resolve issues and problems during the loan process. A Loan Administrator is a crucial and hectic job. The one qualified for this position must be good at handling pressure, be good at resolving issues, handle complaints, and communicate with people.

Lender vs loan administrator salary

Lenders and loan administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

LenderLoan Administrator
Average salary$37,723$42,859
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $55,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateSouth DakotaHawaii
Best paying companyCitiBNY Mellon
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between lender and loan administrator education

There are a few differences between a lender and a loan administrator in terms of educational background:

LenderLoan Administrator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Lender vs loan administrator demographics

Here are the differences between lenders' and loan administrators' demographics:

LenderLoan Administrator
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 49.2% Female, 50.8%Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between lender and loan administrator 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.

Loan administrator example responsibilities.

  • Manage a multifacete commercial real estate investment firm.
  • Pull OFAC on all borrowers.
  • Order third party reports such as appraisals, titles, and OFAC information.
  • Order on FHA loans in a timely and efficient manner to meet month end deadlines.
  • Present and sell financial benefits of a variety of FHA, VA, and conventional loans.
  • Coordinate and maintain loans for adherence to credit policy as well as guidelines in keeping compliant with SBA regulations.
  • Show more

Lender vs loan administrator skills

Common lender skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Loan Applications, 8%
  • Business Development, 6%
  • Bank Products, 6%
  • Origination, 6%
  • Loan Portfolio, 5%
Common loan administrator skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Data Entry, 5%
  • Loan Administration, 5%
  • Loan Processing, 5%
  • Financial Statements, 4%
  • Due Diligence, 4%

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