Loan officer: business or finance degree, training, and an MLO license for mortgage work
Loan officers typically need a bachelor's degree, usually in business or finance, and on-the-job training. Mortgage loan officers need a Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO) license: prelicensing courses, a national exam and background and credit checks.
For: Detail-minded people who can read financial statements, judge risk and explain loan options to customers.
Route 1: Business or finance degree → training → loan officer Typical
Some people enter without a bachelor's degree after related work in banking, customer service or sales.
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Start here
High school diploma
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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About 4 years
Bachelor's in business or finance
Commercial loan officers need to read financial statements.
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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On the job
Company-sponsored and informal training
Usually during the first few months.
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Goal
Commercial or consumer loan officer
BLS
Loan Officers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Route 2: Mortgage loan originator (MLO) license Mortgage work
Required for state-licensed mortgage loan originators; loan originators at federally insured banks and credit unions register instead and do not have to take the national test.
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Start here
Mortgage company job or offer
Mortgage companies may prefer residential mortgage or real estate experience.
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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20+ hours
NMLS-approved pre-licensure education
3 hours federal law, 3 hours ethics, 2 hours nontraditional mortgage lending, 12 hours electives; states may add their own hours.
NMLS
Education FAQ — Pre-licensure Education (PE)Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Exam gate
SAFE MLO Test
190 minutes; pass with at least 75%; $110; passing once counts for every state.
NMLS
SAFE MLO Testing FAQNationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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License
State MLO license through NMLS
Background and credit checks; renewed every year.
MLO license stepsBLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
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Goal
Mortgage loan officer
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Licenses, registrations and certifications
Each one is marked: a state or federal license is the law, a registration through an employer comes with the job, and a voluntary certification is one employers may ask for.
- MLO license
State regulators, through NMLS · State license - Required for mortgage loan officers: pre-licensure education, the SAFE MLO Test, background and credit checks.
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Loan officer certifications
Professional organizations (listed by CareerOneStop) · Voluntary - Not required, but may enhance employment opportunities.
BLS
Loan Officers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
State licensing matrix
Licenses must be renewed annually, and individual states may have additional requirements. BLS
View source
| State or city | What you need |
|---|---|
| Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (TX-SML) |
23 hours: the 20 SAFE hours plus 3 hours of Texas law, either as a 23-hour Texas comprehensive course or a 20-hour course plus a 3-hour TX-SML elective. Other states' law hours do not count as electives. Pre-licensing education must be completed within 3 years of the application. NMLSState-Specific Education Requirements: Texas — SMLNationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)
|
| California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) |
20 hours, with 2 of the 12 elective hours on California DFPI law. Continuing education: 8 hours a year including 1 hour of California law. NMLSState-Specific Education Requirements: California — DFPINationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)
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| New York New York state agency (NMLS state page) |
20 hours, with 3 of the 12 elective hours on New York law. NMLSState-Specific Education Requirements: New YorkNationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)
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| Florida Florida state agency (NMLS state page) |
20 hours, with 2 of the 12 elective hours on Florida law. Continuing education: 8 hours a year including 1 hour of Florida law; MLOs cannot apply to renew without it. NMLSState-Specific Education Requirements: FloridaNationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)
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Where to go next
Every career page in this cluster: entry, license, BLS pay and outlook.
What the job is, BLS pay and job outlook, and how to become one.