How to hire a mortgage loan processor

How to hire a mortgage loan processor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step mortgage loan processor hiring guide:

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

What does a mortgage loan processor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a mortgage loan processor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 mortgage loan processor 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 mortgage loan processor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Mortgage Loan Processor	Description	Hourly rate
   Mortgage Loan Processor	Financial clerks do administrative work for many types of organizations. They keep records, help customers, and carry out financial transactions.	$15-27
   Post Closer	Post closers require an associate degree or certification in addition to 1-3 years of related experience. Skills in customer support, document review, loan processing, quality assurance processing, and loan software are also necessary for this career... Show more	$13-23
   Loan Analyst	A loan analyst is responsible for determining the eligibility of loan applicants in purchasing loan services by analyzing their application documents, account statements, and financial and credit status. Loan analysts evaluate loan agreements and payment plans and explain feasibility to the customers and loan officers before granting the loan... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • FHA
   • Va
   • Property Appraisals
   • Excellent Organizational
   • Investor Guidelines
   • Origination
   • Credit Reports
   • Work Ethic
   • Underwriting Guidelines
   • Automated Underwriting
   • USDA
   • Loan Approval
   • Underwriting Approval

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage individual pipeline using the LPS system.
   • Manage a monthly pipeline averaging 100 files from origination to funding per month as a Jr. processor.
   • Process all types of loan products including FHA, VA, conventional, no income verification, and the self-employed borrower.
   • Assist with executing all loan sales in the secondary market to FNMA, FHLMC and private investors.
   • Verify and validate loan applications for conforming, FHA, VA applications via DU/LP and complex lender software programs.
   • Process USDA and conventional loans.

   More mortgage loan processor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your mortgage loan processor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A mortgage loan processor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, mortgage loan processors' average salary in nebraska is 35% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level mortgage loan processors 42% less than senior-level mortgage loan processors.
   • Certifications. A mortgage loan processor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a mortgage loan processor's salary.

   Average mortgage loan processor salary

   $43,594yearly

   $20.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level mortgage loan processor salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

   Average mortgage loan processor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$59,764	$29
   2	Massachusetts	$58,396	$28
   3	New York	$57,389	$28
   4	Maryland	$56,878	$27
   5	New Jersey	$50,886	$24
   6	Washington	$50,214	$24
   7	Michigan	$49,974	$24
   8	Delaware	$49,818	$24
   9	North Carolina	$49,071	$24
   10	Texas	$48,601	$23
   11	Illinois	$46,759	$22
   12	Oregon	$46,394	$22
   13	Arizona	$46,303	$22
   14	Colorado	$46,164	$22
   15	Virginia	$46,076	$22
   16	Nevada	$45,109	$22
   17	Florida	$45,053	$22
   18	Utah	$43,946	$21
   19	Pennsylvania	$43,060	$21
   20	Ohio	$42,459	$20

   Average mortgage loan processor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amplify Credit Union	$48,456	$23.30	2
   2	Home Bancshares Inc.	$47,669	$22.92	33
   3	CyberCoders	$46,774	$22.49
   4	Mutual of Omaha	$46,743	$22.47	178
   5	Jobot	$46,301	$22.26
   6	M/I Homes	$46,087	$22.16	22
   7	Aerotek	$45,795	$22.02	6
   8	THE RIGHT STAFF	$45,637	$21.94	1
   9	Caliper Family of Companies	$45,264	$21.76
   10	Adecco	$45,101	$21.68	43
   11	USAA	$44,946	$21.61
   12	Cathay Bank	$44,741	$21.51	37
   13	PulteGroup	$44,269	$21.28	1
   14	Kelly Services	$44,183	$21.24	3
   15	The Judge Group	$44,041	$21.17
   16	ManpowerGroup	$43,935	$21.12	10
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$43,542	$20.93	9
   18	Prosperity Bank	$43,496	$20.91	13
   19	ACS Solutions	$43,427	$20.88
   20	Tech Credit Union	$43,379	$20.86	2

4. Writing a mortgage loan processor job description

   A mortgage loan processor 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 mortgage loan processor job description:

   Mortgage loan processor job description example

   DCCU is proud to be experiencing strong growth and stability in our mortgage delivery channel and continues to be the leader in mortgage market share in our service area. Founded in 1959, DCCU is a financial leader in the Shenandoah Valley; currently serving over 118,000 members, with over $1.8 Billion in Assets. At DCCU, we go beyond transactions and truly want to help our members achieve financial success by aligning them with the right products and services to help make a difference in their lives.
   Job Opportunities:
   
   Great opportunity to join a well-respected, award winning, secure, and growing financial institution offering meaningful and value-added work that impacts our community. We're searching for individuals to join a team of dedicated and passionate mortgage professionals.
   
   Job Responsibilities:
   
   This position is responsible for ensuring mortgage loans are processed according to guidelines set by Credit Union policy, automated underwriting systems, and secondary market investor standards/guidelines. Job duties include but are not limited to: ordering title, verifications, tax transcripts, FNMA SSRs, QC/DRIVE reports, SSA89s, communicating and obtaining underwritten loan conditions to members while facilitating the process with all parties of both purchase and refinance transactions. Analyzing and preparing mortgage loan files for final underwriting and pre-funding. Partnering with DCCU Mortgage Advisors to ensure conditions are collected and loans are closed in a timely fashion, meeting all commitment, rate lock and closing deadlines.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   The ideal candidate will possess a high school diploma or equivalent and 2+ years of experience processing mortgage loans. They need a strong knowledge of mortgage lending and corresponding best practices, along with consistent experience in secondary-market fulfillment. This individual should be a self-starter with strong initiative and the ability to multi-task, possessing effective communication skills, and strong analytical skills. Excellent internal and external member service is a requirement, as well as the ability to manage a fast paced work environment.
   
   DuPont Community Credit Union offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits package including medical and dental insurance, life insurance, long term disability insurance, pension, 401K, and paid time off
   
   Qualified individuals should apply on-line only.
   
   On-line applications/resumes can be submitted by visiting www.mydccu.com.
   
   Follow the careers link on the homepage.
   
   DuPont Community Credit Union is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find mortgage loan processors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your mortgage loan processor job on Zippia to find and recruit mortgage loan processor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with mortgage loan processor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 mortgage loan processor

   Once you've found the mortgage loan processor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a mortgage loan processor?