[Site name]

Pawnbroker

Also called loaner, pawn agent, pawn broker

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.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects29 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Customer services clerksWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,000 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Customer services clerksWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational5 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 3 in 10 train through vocational routes.Customer services clerksWill AI change it?ModeratelyLevel 4 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Pawnbrokers and money-lenders · ILO

What you'd do

Pawnbrokers and money-lenders · ILO
  • Evaluating articles offered as pledges, calculating interest, and lending money
  • Returning articles when the loan is paid or, in the event of non-payment, selling pledged articles
  • Lending money as personal loans against success of future harvest and other similar undertakings
  • Collecting loans when the pledge involved the success of future harvest and other similar undertakings
  • Keeping a record of items received and money distributed and received
Maintain client debt recordsPerform debt investigationManage pawnshop inventoryMaintain records of financial transactionsCommunicate with customers+ 9 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Very repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the related, broader US job "Tellers"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as customer services clerks in the EU
3.83m3.74m3.78m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
18,000 new jobs 1,067,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Customer services clerks29
All jobs29
Right now
4 of 27 countries report a shortage of pawnbrokers and money-lenders, 1 a surplus.
Pawnbrokers and money-lenders · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,000 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among clerical support workers in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Clerical support workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in finance, banking and insurance is the usual route.

Highest qualification of customer services clerks (EU, 2025)
Degree 39%Vocational 33%General secondary 19%Basic schooling 9%
Field that teaches it
Finance, banking and insurance
Vocational route, EU
3 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Moderately

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.48 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 5 tasks
Evaluating articles offered as pledges, calculating interest, and lending money0.55
Lending money as personal loans against success of future harvest and other similar undertakings0.52
Returning articles when the loan is paid or, in the event of non-payment, selling pledged articles0.48
Collecting loans when the pledge involved the success of future harvest and other similar undertakings0.45
Keeping a record of items received and money distributed and received0.40

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for pawnbrokers and money-lenders. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).