How To Become A Senior Branch Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior branch manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Senior branch managers are responsible for the operations of a branch office, typically for a bank or other financial services company. If you decide to become a senior branch manager, you'll be responsible for all of the functions of the branch office, including hiring employees, attracting new business, assisting with customer relations, and setting strategies to ensure that the branch meets its goals in a timely manner.

Branch managers are also frequently expected to develop forecasts, financial objectives, and business plans. They must have outstanding leadership skills and be capable of multitasking and setting organizational priorities. They also take proactive steps to grow the location's customer base by elevating the community's perception of the company's brand.

There is no specific education needed to hold a branch manager position. However, a majority of employers will require a bachelor's degree in Business, Finance or a related field. Advanced degrees such as a Master's or Doctorate are preferred to hold senior or high profile positions.

ScoreSenior Branch ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,417

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.5

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 8.87%

Black or African American 7.69%

Hispanic or Latino 14.77%

Unknown 4.11%

White 64.22%

Gender

female 40.59%

male 59.41%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

9.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.3

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior branch manager

Explore senior branch manager education requirements

Most common senior branch manager degrees

Bachelor's

69.4 %

Associate

12.6 %

Master's

10.6 %

Start to develop specific senior branch manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Risk Management	11.15%
Sales Targets	9.37%
Performance Management	8.82%
Client Relationships	8.18%
Business Development	7.43%

Complete relevant senior branch manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior branch managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior branch manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior branch manager resumes.

Research senior branch manager duties and responsibilities

Oversee and manages all incoming and outgoing automate clearing house (ACH) transfer of electronic fund.
Coordinate the development and management of appropriate personnel information, management database providing seamless integration with payroll and other school functions.
Conduct weekly seminars on recruiting new members and competitive lenders.

Get senior branch manager experience

Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a senior branch manager. The most common roles before becoming a senior branch manager include branch manager, assistant branch manager team lead and manager, assistant vice president.

Prepare your senior branch manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior branch manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior branch manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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