08/31/2026
There's a popular narrative that ATMs killed the bank teller. It's wrong, and understanding why matters if you're hiring for branch roles in 2026.
When ATMs first rolled out in the 1970s, everyone assumed tellers would disappear. Instead, ATMs lowered the cost of operating a branch, which meant banks opened more of them, which meant they actually needed more tellers.
Instead of becoming obsolete, the role shifted from transaction processing to customer service and relationship-building. Economists have cited this as a clear example of automation changing a job rather than eliminating it.
That same dynamic is playing out again with digital banking and AI.
A Federal Reserve study found a 19% decline in U.S. bank branches between 2014 and 2024. Routine transaction volume is falling as mobile deposits and online transfers absorb the simple stuff, and the tellers who remain are being asked to do work that looks nothing like counting cash and making change.
Read more about the state of the bank teller: https://na2.hubs.ly/H07xrxV0