30 Notary Career Paths (With Salaries and Primary Duties)
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Notaries are an important part of legal transactional documents. The work of a notary prevents cases of fraudulent documentation and coerced agreements to keep these legal transactions as fair as possible. You can find a variety of careers that involve notarization roles for you to apply your notary services. In this article, we discuss what a notary is, what notary jobs are and different career paths you can pursue.
What is a notary?
A notary is a licensed professional who serves as a witness to the signing of legal documents to confirm the identities of the signees and verify that they're signing willingly. Notaries ensure the validity of documents for real estate, financial, marital and other legal transactions by checking for proof of identification from the signing parties, stamping and signing the document and logging the details of the document signing in a notary journal. Notary journals allow others to verify that the proper designated parties signed these documents and when they signed.
Related: Notary Public Certifications: What You Need To Know
What are notary jobs?
Notary jobs are careers that a licensed notary can pursue to conduct their notarization work in authenticating documents. A notary can work solely to notarize documents or they can provide notary services along with administrative support in areas such as banking, accounting or lending. Notaries may find work within office settings or through providing at-home or mobile notary services. Jobs for notaries can have different requirements for licensing or certification depending on the state, so it's important to check your local notary requirements to make sure that your work complies with state regulations.
Related: 50 Ways To Work From Home (With 21 Tips)
30 notary career paths to consider
The following are notary jobs you can pursue:
1. Records clerk
National average salary: $26,612 per year
Primary duties: Court records clerks work within courthouses, managing court records, filing documents and entering court case information for digital recording. A court records clerk can also notarize these records for legal documentation.
2. Personal banker
National average salary: $32,660 per year
Primary duties: Personal bankers provide clients with recommendations for services, products, investments and loans that their bank can offer. While managing their clients' accounts, they're also able to notarize financial transactions for their clients.
3. Escrow assistant
National average salary: $33,610 per year
Primary duties: Escrow assistants support escrow officers in drafting and distributing real estate purchase contracts. Escrow assistants can become a notary to provide additional assistance in legalizing real estate contracts.
4. Notary public
National average salary: $34,334 per year
Primary duties: Notary publics notarize documents and serve the public by providing notary services to prevent fraud and theft. A notary public is knowledgeable in their state notary practices to review legal documents and authenticate signatures.
5. Court clerk
National average salary: $34,774 per year
Primary duties: Court clerks provide administrative assistance to judges, lawyers and other court professionals by maintaining court documents. A court clerk can conduct notary work as they document court paperwork and record county permits and licenses.
6. Claims processor
National average salary: $35,666 per year
Primary duties: Claims processors often work with insurance and medical claims to investigate their validity. A claims processor may become a notary to notarize claims.
Related: How To Write Claims Processor Resume (With Example)
7. Relationship banker
National average salary: $36,206 per year
Primary duties: Relationship bankers work in banks to assist clients in opening new accounts and managing them. A relationship banker can guide clients through financial documents and may notarize banking contracts.
8. Title clerk
National average salary: $36,781 per year
Primary duties: Title clerks process automotive titles, transfers and loans for dealerships and automotive parts recycling businesses. Title clerks can notarize title transactions between buyers and sellers.
9. Records specialist
National average salary: $37,871 per year
Primary duties: Records specialists work within a medical facility to manage medical records and documentation. They handle sensitive information between medical, legal and insurance companies and can authenticate medical records for interested parties.
10. Bookkeeper
National average salary: $38,046 per year
Primary duties: Bookkeepers perform a variety of accounting roles, including recording financial statements and drafting credit and debit reports. A notary bookkeeper can prepare financial transaction documents and notarize them.
11. Claims assistant
National average salary: $39,837 per year
Primary duties: Claims assistants assist claims adjusters in processing and documenting insurance claims. A claims assistant might also notarize insurance claim agreements for settlements or court cases.
12. Administrative specialist
National average salary: $43,673 per year
Primary duties: Administrative specialists are knowledgeable in their particular field of work, which can be in governmental, legal or medical offices. They provide high-level administrative support along with notary services.
13. Legal assistant
National average salary: $43,748 per year
Primary duties: Legal assistants provide support within a law firm, handling communication with clients, conducting research and trial preparation for court cases. A legal assistant may choose to become a notary to oversee legal contracts for notarization.
14. Closing manager
National average salary: $46,642 per year
Primary duties: Closing managers oversee the closing process in real estate transactions. A closing notary can manage the underwriting, loan processing and notarization of real estate closing documents.
Related: How To Become a Closing Notary
15. Real estate assistant
National average salary: $46,683 per year
Primary duties: Real estate assistants support other real estate professionals in communications between their real estate company and their clients. Part of this communication process may include notarizing contracts between the two parties.
16. Title processor
National average salary: $48,057 per year
Primary duties: Title processors may work in insurance companies, processing real estate title transactions and transfers. They may authenticate title documents for things such as insurance claims.
17. Claims specialist
National average salary: $49,886 per year
Primary duties: Claims specialists oversee the insurance claim process and the communications between claimants and insurance company personnel, like insurance adjusters. A claims specialist investigates and verifies claims and claim documentation.
18. Paralegal
National average salary: $50,980 per year
Primary duties: Paralegals provide administrative support for attorneys in law firms or public sectors. A paralegal may accept cases or manage client fees along with notarizing transaction documents.
Related: 4 Professions Similar to a Paralegal or Legal Assistant
19. Finance assistant
National average salary: $51,460 per year
Primary duties: Finance assistants conduct administrative, accounting and bookkeeping work for their clients. A finance assistant may work in a bank or financial department in other companies providing financial advice, reports and notarization services.
20. Settlement officer
National average salary: $52,192 per year
Primary duties: Settlement officers coordinate with buyers and sellers in a real estate transaction. They prepare the legal documentation and financial transaction detailing for both parties to sign.
21. Executive assistant
National average salary: $52,521 per year
Primary duties: Executive assistants dedicate support to individual members of a company and provide them with detailed agendas, records and notes. An executive assistant may notarize contracts for their employer and their clients.
22. Office manager
National average salary: $52,753 per year
Primary duties: Office managers oversee the administrative departments within their company and communicate between them and company leaders. An office manager may also provide administrative support for senior management along with notarization services.
23. Loan processor
National average salary: $53,934 per year
Primary duties: Loan processors manage loans from the loan reviewing stage to the final approval status. They gather and evaluate loan-related documents for accuracy and notary authorization.
24. Librarian
National average salary: $54,541 per year
Primary duties: Librarians help people find resources for research and information discovery methods. A librarian that works in public libraries can also provide notary services.
25. Mortgage closer
National average salary: $58,476 per year
Primary duties: Mortgage closers prepare real estate closing documents along with the calculations for loan closing costs. A mortgage closer may also oversee the signing of closing documents for notarization.
26. City clerk
National average salary: $58,807 per year
Primary duties: City clerks represent a city council and conduct accounting and purchasing agent roles for the city. To complete city and local transactions, city clerks can notarize financial and real estate agreements.
27. Escrow officer
National average salary: $59,938 per year
Primary duties: Escrow officers communicate between a buyer and a seller in a real estate transaction. They manage real estate transfer titles and authorize agreements.
Related: How To Become an Escrow Officer in 7 Steps
28. Contract administrator
National average salary: $63,190 per year
Primary duties: Contract administrators oversee the drafting and maintenance of new or existing contracts for a company. They can also manage the signing and fulfillment of the contract as a notary.
29. Closer
National average salary: $73,871 per year
Primary duties: Closers in the real estate process manage the closing costs and documentation of a real estate purchase. Closers can notarize closing agreements between buyers and sellers.
30. Contract manager
National average salary: $81,253 per year
Primary duties: Contract managers coordinate between the signing parties for a contract and supervise the agreements made between them to help resolve conflicts and ensure contract compliance. Along with explaining and advising the terms of the contract, contract managers can notarize the contract for the signing parties.
