Pawnbroker
Also known as: pawn agent, loaner, pawn brokers, pawnshop manager, pawnshop operator, pawn agents
About this occupation
Pawnbrokers offer loans to clients by securing them with personal objects or items. They assess the personal items given in exchange for the loan, they determine their value and amount of loan available and keep track of inventory assets.
Essential skills and knowledge
- communicate with customers
- determine resale value of items
- manage pawnshop inventory
- maintain records of financial transactions
- debt systems
- estimate value of used goods
- identify customer's needs
- analyse financial risk
- negotiate on asset value
- maintain client debt records
- perform debt investigation
- assess customer credibility
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Tellers (O*NET 43-3071.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts and calculate daily transactions, using computers, calculators, or adding machines.
- Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips.
- Monitor bank vaults to ensure cash balances are correct.
- Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds.
- Count currency, coins, and checks received, by hand or using currency-counting machine, to prepare them for deposit or shipment to branch banks or the Federal Reserve Bank.
- Enter customers' transactions into computers to record transactions and issue computer-generated receipts.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Enterprising, Social
Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness
US median pay: US$43,030 a year (2025), 329,480 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.6)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.5)
- Economics or AccountingO*NET: Economics and AccountingImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- New Accounts Clerks
- Cashiers
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Brokerage Clerks
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
- Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.