Bank robberies are rare, and they're getting rarer
The FBI tracks bank robberies across the United States. In 2022, there were 2,109 reported bank robberies. That sounds like a lot until you consider there are roughly 4,700 banks operating in the country. The actual rate works out to less than one robbery per bank every two years, and the trend has been downward for the past two decades.
The decline is sharp. In 2004, there were 7,556 bank robberies reported. By 2010, that number had dropped to 5,169. The 2022 figure represents a 72 percent drop from the peak. Modern security—surveillance cameras, silent alarms, time-delay safes, and trained staff protocols—has made robbing a bank far more difficult and far more likely to result in arrest.
Most bank robberies today are not the dramatic vault heists shown in movies. The average take is around $4,000 to $5,000 per incident. Many robbers hand a note to a teller demanding money from the drawer in front of them, which is why the FBI sometimes calls these "note jobs." The robber is usually caught within days or weeks.
Key Takeaways
- Fewer than one in 2,000 banks experience a robbery in any given year, and the rate has dropped 72 percent since 2004.
- The average bank robbery nets $4,000 to $5,000, far less than the cost of prosecution and incarceration for the robber.
- Most bank robberies are solved within weeks because robbers are caught on camera and leave physical evidence.
- Banks invest heavily in surveillance, alarm systems, and staff training, which deters most potential robbers before they attempt anything.
Why bank robberies have become less common
Three factors have driven the decline. First, banks installed comprehensive camera systems starting in the 1990s. A robber's face is recorded from multiple angles, making identification nearly certain. Second, banks moved most cash out of teller drawers and into time-delay safes that cannot be opened on demand. A robber who demands the vault is told truthfully that no one in the building can open it for hours. Third, staff training improved. Tellers are taught to comply with demands (money is insured) and to trigger silent alarms, which summon police without alerting the robber.
The shift to digital banking also matters. In 1980, most people kept significant cash at home or in checking accounts. Today, most money moves electronically. A person who wants to steal money has easier targets than a bank—retail stores, gas stations, and homes still hold cash, but banks do not hold nearly as much as they once did.
Federal penalties are severe. Bank robbery is a federal crime, not a state crime, which means FBI investigation and federal prosecution. Sentences typically run 10 to 20 years. The risk-to-reward ratio is terrible: spend 15 years in prison to net $4,000.
What happens when a bank robbery occurs
When a robbery is reported, the FBI takes over the investigation immediately. Local police secure the scene and preserve evidence, but the FBI handles interviews, evidence analysis, and the manhunt. The bank's security footage is copied and distributed to field offices and sometimes to the public if the robber remains at large.
Most robbers are identified within 72 hours. They are caught because they are recognized by staff, captured on camera, or identified through tips from the public. Some robbers are caught the same day. A small number remain unsolved, but the FBI's clearance rate for bank robberies is high—around 60 percent of cases result in an arrest, and most of those result in conviction.
The bank itself is protected by federal deposit insurance. Tellers are trained to hand over money without resistance. The bank's loss is covered by insurance and by the federal government in some cases. The real cost falls on the robber, who faces federal prosecution, prison time, and restitution orders.
Regional variation in bank robbery rates
Bank robberies are not evenly distributed across the country. California, Texas, Florida, and New York account for a large share of incidents, partly because they have the most banks and the largest populations. However, the rate per bank varies by region. Some areas have seen robberies decline faster than others.
Urban areas see more robberies than rural areas, but the difference is smaller than you might expect. A bank in a small town is not significantly safer than one in a city, because the factors that deter robbery—cameras, alarms, time-delay safes, and trained staff—are standard everywhere. The difference is volume: a city has more banks, so more robberies occur in cities overall.
How bank security has changed since the 1970s
In the 1970s and 1980s, bank robberies were far more common and far more successful. Cameras were limited or nonexistent. Safes were accessible. Staff had little training. A robber could walk in, demand money, and walk out with a reasonable chance of escape. The FBI's "Most Wanted" list regularly featured bank robbers.
The turning point came in the 1990s with digital surveillance. Banks installed systems that recorded continuously and stored footage digitally, making it impossible to destroy evidence by stealing tapes. Time-delay safes became standard—the vault door simply would not open for a set period, no matter what happened inside the bank. Panic buttons and silent alarms became routine.
Today, a bank robber faces near-certain identification and arrest. The money taken is usually small. The prison sentence is long. The risk is enormous. This calculation has sunk into the public consciousness, which is one reason fewer people attempt it.
The difference between bank robberies and other financial crimes
Bank robbery is a specific federal crime: taking money from a bank by force, threat, or intimidation. It is different from embezzlement (an employee stealing from the bank), fraud (deceiving the bank into handing over money), or cybercrime (stealing money through digital systems).
Embezzlement and fraud are far more common than robbery and result in larger losses. A bank employee who steals over months or years can take hundreds of thousands of dollars. A cybercriminal who compromises a bank's systems can steal millions. These crimes are harder to detect and prosecute because they do not involve a person walking into a branch with a gun or a note.
The FBI tracks all three, but robbery gets the most public attention because it is dramatic and rare. The actual financial threat to banks comes from the other two categories, which is why banks spend more on internal audit, cybersecurity, and employee screening than on physical security.
What the statistics do not tell you
The FBI's bank robbery count includes only incidents reported to law enforcement. A very small number of robberies might go unreported, though this is unlikely—banks are required to report robberies to federal regulators, and insurance claims require a police report. The count is reliable.
The statistics also do not distinguish between armed and unarmed robbery, though most modern bank robberies are note jobs (unarmed). They do not separate robberies of bank branches from robberies of armored cars or ATMs, though the vast majority occur at branches. If you are looking for specific details about a particular type of robbery or a particular region, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program publishes detailed breakdowns by state and year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bank robberies happen per day in the United States?
Based on 2022 data, there were roughly 5 to 6 bank robberies per day on average across the entire country. This number has declined steadily. In 2004, the average was about 20 per day. The decline reflects better security and lower incentive for robbers.
What is the average sentence for bank robbery?
Federal sentences for bank robbery typically range from 10 to 20 years, depending on whether the robber was armed, whether anyone was injured, and the robber's criminal history. Most convicted bank robbers serve at least 10 years. Restitution orders are common, requiring the robber to repay the stolen money.
Can a bank teller refuse to hand over money during a robbery?
No. Banks train tellers to comply with robbery demands because the money is insured and the teller's safety is the priority. Resisting can escalate the situation and put the teller at risk. The FBI and bank security experts all recommend compliance.
Has online banking reduced bank robberies?
Yes, partly. As more people bank online and keep less cash in physical accounts, there is less cash in bank branches to steal. This has contributed to the decline in robberies since the 2000s. However, the decline also reflects improved physical security and the high cost of prosecution.
What happens to the money stolen in a bank robbery?
Most stolen money is recovered when the robber is arrested. If money is not recovered, the bank's insurance covers the loss. Customers are not responsible for losses due to robbery—federal deposit insurance protects customer accounts. The bank absorbs the loss through insurance premiums.