# New Accounts Clerks

US SOC code 43-4141. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/43-4141

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **36,860** US new accounts clerks, with median pay of **$47,670** a year. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.1950.html) of **40,000** from 1950, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for new accounts clerks: Internet banking and online account opening, 1995 to 2015.

Figures: Official statistic (latest count and pay); Researched context (earliest figure).

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 6.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-4141&ioType=o) (Official statistic).

### AI exposure studies

- **60%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv) (Official statistic)
- **0.99** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf) (Official statistic)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.99. BLS counted **56,990** of these jobs in May 2013 and **36,860** in May 2025 (-35%, a change derived by Future History). Figures: Official statistic.

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## New Accounts Clerks employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1850
- Latest US employment: 36,860 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $47,670 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Outlook: -6.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [17]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1950 | 40,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US Census Bureau, 1950 Decennial Census [1] |
| 1960 | n/a | $4,200 (average) (estimate) | Est., University of Missouri Libraries [4] |
| 1970 | 65,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [2] |
| 1980 | n/a | $10,400 (average) (estimate) | Est., University of Missouri Libraries [5] |
| 2003 | 105,300 | $25,930 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 96,560 | $26,860 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 82,450 | $27,420 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 80,770 | $28,390 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 88,880 | $29,610 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 87,300 | $30,230 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 81,650 | $30,640 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 67,170 | $30,440 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 60,830 | $31,030 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 55,320 | $31,720 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 56,990 | $33,190 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 52,260 | $34,000 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 48,970 | $34,880 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 41,630 | $34,990 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 41,680 | $35,260 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 41,500 | $35,800 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 43,420 | $36,550 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 45,250 | $37,750 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 40,500 | $37,840 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 45,170 | $40,820 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 41,180 | $44,630 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 38,030 | $46,610 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 36,860 | $47,670 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (74)

### Employment series

1. [US Census Bureau, 1950 Decennial Census -- overview and publications landing page (occupation-by-industry data; banking and finance clerical categories)](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.1950.html), US Census Bureau
2. [Wikipedia: Bank teller -- Employment history section ("approximately 300,000 tellers in the United States in 1970")](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_teller), Wikipedia / BLS historical data
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. [Derived estimate from University of Missouri Libraries: Prices and Wages by Decade, 1960-1969 (BLS Industry Wage Surveys, banking and finance series)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1960-1969), University of Missouri Libraries
5. [Derived estimate from University of Missouri Libraries: Prices and Wages by Decade, 1980-1989 (BLS Industry Wage Survey, banking and finance categories)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1980-1989), University of Missouri Libraries
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

7. [Savings Bank of the Finger Lakes: History of savings banks in the United States (passbook era description)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_bank#United_States), Wikipedia / banking history sources
8. [Wikipedia: Burroughs Corporation -- history of banking bookkeeping machines (1904-1940s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burroughs_Corporation), Wikipedia
9. [Wikipedia: NCR Corporation -- early banking and accounting machine history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCR_Corporation), Wikipedia
10. [Wikipedia: ERMA (Electronic Recording Method of Accounting) -- Bank of America / Stanford Research Institute (1955-1959)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Recording_Machine,_Accounting), Wikipedia / Bank of America history
11. [Wikipedia: IBM System/360 -- banking and financial industry adoption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/360), Wikipedia
12. [Wikipedia: Automated teller machine -- "Chemical Bank installed the first ATM in the US at its branch in Rockville Centre, New York" (September 2, 1969)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_teller_machine), Wikipedia
13. [James Bessen: "Toil and Technology" (Finance and Development, March 2015) -- ATM paradox and bank teller employment](https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2015/03/bessen.htm), IMF Finance and Development / James Bessen
14. [Wikipedia: Online banking -- "Wells Fargo became the first U.S. bank to add account services to its website in 1995; Presidential Bank first to open accounts online"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_banking), Wikipedia
15. [Pew Research Center: "Online Banking" (2006) -- 31% of US households used online banking by 2004; 47% of adults by 2009](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2006/06/14/online-banking-2006/), Pew Research Center
16. [O\*NET OnLine: 43-4141.00 New Accounts Clerks -- current occupation description and employment (2024)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4141.00), O\*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)

### Forecasts and exposure studies

17. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 43-4141 New accounts clerks (2025: 37.9 thousand; 2035: 35.5 thousand; -6.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-4141&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
18. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 43-4141.00, human-rated β 0.6)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI
19. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 43-4141 New Accounts Clerks: probability 0.99, rank 693 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford

### Historical notes

20. [Wikipedia: Savings bank -- "The Provident Institution for Savings" and "Bank for Savings in the City of New York" (1816/1819)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_bank), Wikipedia
21. [Wikipedia: Federal Reserve Act (December 23, 1913)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Act), Wikipedia
22. [FDIC: History of the FDIC -- Banking Act of 1933 and establishment of federal deposit insurance](https://www.fdic.gov/history), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
23. [Wikipedia: Electronic Recording Method of Accounting (ERMA) -- Bank of America and Stanford Research Institute, 1955-1959](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Recording_Machine,_Accounting), Wikipedia
24. [Wikipedia: Automated teller machine -- first US ATM at Chemical Bank, Rockville Centre, New York (September 2, 1969)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_teller_machine), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia: Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (DIDMCA), 1980](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depository_Institutions_Deregulation_and_Monetary_Control_Act), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia: Online banking -- "Wells Fargo became the first U.S. bank to add account services to its website" and "Presidential Bank was the first to open accounts entirely online" (1995)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_banking), Wikipedia
27. [FDIC BankFind Suite: Annual Data Summaries -- historical data on FDIC-insured bank offices and branches (successor to IDASP; number of offices series shows 2009 peak and subsequent decline)](https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/historical), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

### Predecessors & successors

28. [Wikipedia: Savings bank -- history of US savings bank clerks and new accounts functions (19th century)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_bank), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-21
- [O\*NET 30.3 — US Department of Labor](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), accessed 2026-05-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.