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Bill and Account Collectors

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $47,030 Median per year · $22.61/hr Most earn $34,400–$65,580

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Negotiate credit extensions when necessary.
  • Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
  • Perform various administrative functions for assigned accounts, such as recording address changes and purging the records of deceased customers.
  • Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
  • Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
  • Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.

Job outlook

United States
10% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 11,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Business support services25.0%
  • Credit intermediation and related activities10.0%
  • Management of companies and enterprises6.7%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals4.4%
  • Other nondepository credit intermediation4.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Bill and Account Collector is an entry-level job. Many people start with a high school diploma and some customer-facing work experience, usually around 6 months to 1 year before taking the job.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong math, English, and communication skills, which you'll use daily when explaining balances and payment options to customers.

  2. Customer Service Representative

    6 months to 1 year

    Answer customer calls, solve account problems, and take payments. This builds the phone skills, record-keeping, and calm handling of upset customers that collectors need.

  3. Bill and Account Collector

    Entry point for this career

    Contact customers about overdue accounts, arrange payment plans, post payments, and keep detailed records of each account's status.

Where it can lead

  1. Collections Supervisor

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    You would oversee a team of collectors, coach them, review their results, and handle the hardest accounts. Strong record-keeping and people skills help you move up.

  2. Tax Examiner and Collector, Revenue Agent

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    This role focuses on collecting taxes or fees for a government agency and usually involves more research and rules. Many people in this field have an associate degree, so further schooling helps.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and English classesStrong math helps you read balances and payment plans, and clear writing helps when you send notices or document accounts.
  • Get a part-time job in customer service or retailWorking a cash register or helping customers builds the patience and money-handling experience that employers look for.
  • Join a debate, public speaking, or school business clubThese groups help you stay calm under pressure and explain ideas clearly, which is key when talking with people about overdue bills.
  • Learn basic spreadsheet softwareMany schools offer computer classes or free tutorials. Knowing how to enter and sort data prepares you for account record-keeping.
  • Volunteer to help with a school fundraiser or bake saleHandling money, keeping simple records, and talking with donors gives you real practice with the kind of responsibility this job involves.

In college

  • Take courses in accounting, business, or communicationA basic accounting or business class teaches how payments, balances, and debts work, and a communication class strengthens the phone and writing skills you'll use daily.
  • Work a campus job in a student officeJobs at a bursar's office, financial aid office, or campus billing desk give you hands-on experience with student accounts and payment questions.
  • Apply for a customer service or call center jobPhone-based work teaches you to handle many customers a day, keep notes, and stay professional, which matches the core of collections work.
  • Build spreadsheet and data entry skillsLearning spreadsheets and your school's record systems helps you keep accurate account records, a major part of this job.
  • Join a finance or business student clubClubs like these let you meet people in finance, practice presenting, and learn about careers in credit and accounts.

Tips for getting started

  • Get any customer service or cashier job you can while in school. Handling money and difficult conversations is the best practice for collections work.
  • Build comfort with spreadsheets and basic computer software, since collectors log every call, payment, and account update.
  • Practice calm, respectful phone conversations. Collectors who stay professional when customers push back are the ones who keep their jobs and move up.

Related jobs that often lead here

  • Tellers Up to 1 month of experience

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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