Bill and Account Collectors: Job Description
Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visit to solicit payment. Duties include receiving payment and posting amount to customer's account, preparing statements to credit department if customer fails to respond, initiating repossession proceedings or service disconnection, and keeping records of collection and status of accounts.
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What Do Bill and Account Collectors Take On?
The core tasks performed by bill and account collectors span:
- Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
- Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.
- Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
- Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.
- Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
- Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
- Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise.
- Confer with customers by telephone or in person to determine reasons for overdue payments and to review the terms of sales, service, or credit contracts.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful bill and account collectors combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Bill and Account Collectors Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Account Receivable Associate
- Account Representative
- Account Service Representative
- Accounts Collector
- Accounts Receivable Specialist (AR Specialist)
- Bad Credit Collector
- Bilingual Collections Specialist
- Bill Collector
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 705,409 bill and account collectors working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.3% over the projection horizon.
Bill and Account Collectors Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $38,334 |
| Hourly median | $18.43 |
| 10th percentile | $23,963 |
| 25th percentile | $31,148 |
| 75th percentile | $45,520 |
| 90th percentile | $52,705 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Bill and Account Collectors Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $58,070 |
| California | $57,070 |
| Connecticut | $54,200 |
| Massachusetts | $53,160 |
| Rhode Island | $52,580 |
| Oregon | $52,530 |
| Vermont | $51,070 |
| New Jersey | $50,660 |
| Hawaii | $50,380 |
| Maryland | $50,050 |
| Colorado | $48,670 |
| Wisconsin | $48,650 |
| Minnesota | $48,160 |
| New York | $47,710 |
| Maine | $47,660 |
| Illinois | $47,220 |
| Washington | $46,940 |
| Delaware | $46,660 |
| Georgia | $46,600 |
| Nevada | $46,530 |
| New Mexico | $46,270 |
| Arizona | $45,950 |
| Montana | $45,830 |
| North Carolina | $45,770 |
| Missouri | $45,540 |
| New Hampshire | $45,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,190 |
| Kentucky | $44,890 |
| Florida | $44,860 |
| Virginia | $44,710 |
| Utah | $44,640 |
| Ohio | $44,400 |
| Texas | $44,200 |
| Oklahoma | $43,800 |
| Michigan | $43,670 |
| Idaho | $43,380 |
| Tennessee | $43,290 |
| Nebraska | $42,640 |
| South Dakota | $42,540 |
| Indiana | $42,390 |
| Virgin Islands | $42,160 |
| Wyoming | $41,600 |
| South Carolina | $41,040 |
| Kansas | $40,800 |
| Iowa | $40,150 |
| Alabama | $40,020 |
| West Virginia | $39,780 |
| North Dakota | $38,500 |
| Mississippi | $36,610 |
| Arkansas | $36,510 |
| Louisiana | $36,460 |
| Guam | $29,620 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,400 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for bill and account collectors shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $54,296 | 13.0% | 0.83 |
| New England | $51,594 | 3.1% | 0.70 |
| Middle Atlantic | $47,256 | 12.9% | 0.88 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,600 | 3.8% | 1.21 |
| Great Lakes | $44,993 | 13.0% | 1.04 |
| Plains States | $44,690 | 7.5% | 1.24 |
| Southwest | $44,567 | 17.9% | 1.48 |
| Southeast | $43,789 | 27.2% | 1.16 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $71,160 | 580 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $68,290 | 1,670 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $66,940 | 80 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | CA | $62,810 | 110 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | WI | $60,690 | 60 |
| Charlottesville, VA | VA | $59,930 | 40 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $59,520 | 130 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $59,090 | 160 |
Industry Breakdown
Most bill and account collectors work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 50,420 | $38,640 |
| Finance and Insurance | 36,050 | $47,600 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 18,350 | $47,670 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13,870 | $46,940 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 12,460 | $48,990 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5,810 | $51,440 |
| Information | 3,980 | $61,960 |
| Retail Trade | 3,950 | $40,820 |
Below are examples of industries where bill and account collectors work:
Software Bill and Account Collectors Use
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Accounting software (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for bill and account collectors reflects the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Sitting
- Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
- Telephone Conversations
Education and Training
Entry-level bill and account collectors positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Supplemental)
- Accountants and Auditors (Supplemental)
- Credit Analysts (Supplemental)
- Personal Financial Advisors (Supplemental)
- Credit Counselors (Supplemental)
- Loan Officers (Supplemental)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Primary-Short)
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for bill and account collectors commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-3011.00 (Bill and Account Collectors).
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