Surrounded by Money

Surrounded by Money

By Laura Neely

As a bank teller, Marilyn Hodge counts more money each day than most people earn each year

At 7:45 every morning, Marilyn Hodge, a 13-year veteran of the banking system, opens the Home Savings and Loan branch on campus at Youngstown State University , going through a security procedure she is not allowed to discuss.

Before working at Home Savings, Hodge was a bank teller at National City for eight years. Because she is a mother, Hodge feels it's a great job because she's done by 3 p.m., and she doesn't have to work on weekends or holidays.

On average, she counts about $30,000 to $40,000 each day – more than what she knows most people earn each year.

“It's like an assembly line doing the same thing for hours,” she says. “It's quite easy to become a bank teller; you just have to have a high school diploma, fill out an application, and be bank trained.”

One of the reasons why Hodge decided to become a bank teller is because the job allows her to meet great people, especially young people.

“The most memorable experience I had was a young man from Jamaica calling me 'mom',” she says.

Hodge, who is married and has two grown daughters, says that she originally wanted to work in the travel industry. However, she enjoys her work at the bank, and she hopes to retire in five years; at this point in her life, her dream is to be happily retired.