The amount of money a loan officer makes a year is dependent upon his experience level, his field of expertise and industry and his location. Loan officers earn an average of $63,210 a year in the United States as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Loan officers in the bottom 10 percent earn as little as $31,030 a year, while those in the top 10 percent make as much as $105,330 a year. While some positions require only a high school diploma, others, such as that of a commercial loan officer, require a bachelor's degree, which will usually mean higher wages.