Bill and Account Collectors
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.
Also called: Account Receivable Associate, Account Representative, Account Service Representative, Accounts Collector, Accounts Receivable Specialist (AR Specialist), Bad Credit Collector
Median pay
$47,030
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$34,400 – $65,580
People employed
158,830
Holland code
CES
Conventional · Enterprising · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 2.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 3.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
- 4.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 5.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 6.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 7.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 8.Do you prefer working indoors?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
Bill and Account Collectors pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What bill and account collectors do
- 01Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
- 02Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.
- 03Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
- 04Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.
- 05Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
- 06Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Economics and Accounting
- Law and Government
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Stress Tolerance
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from bill and account collectors
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks92% · +6%
- Correspondence Clerks91% · 0%
- Customer Service Representatives91% · −5%
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks90% · +5%
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents88% · +33%
Change into bill and account collectors
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks92% · $50,080
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks89% · $50,020
- Correspondence Clerks88% · $46,800
- Customer Service Representatives88% · $44,770
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks87% · $49,230
Majors that lead here
- Banking and Financial Support Services
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.