Bill and Account Collectors Salary
The median bill and account collectors salary in the United States is $47,030 per year ($22.61/hour). Salaries range from $34,400 at the entry level to $65,580+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 158,830 bill and account collectors jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 10.5% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Salary Distribution
Job Growth (2024-2034)
Annual Openings
Education Required
Training Needed
Bill and Account Collectors Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for bill and account collectorss.
Bill + account collectors work in credit + medical + third-party collections + accounts receivable. Entry $34-46k; mid-career licensed collectors $46-62k; senior + supervisory $62-92k; collection agency managers $85-125k. Commission-based agencies pay more but volatile. FDCPA compliance + state licensing required. Path is transactional but stable, and mid-career collectors move to Credit Analyst + AR Manager + AP roles.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
How to Become a Bill and Account Collectors
- 1Get high school diploma or GEDMost collection agencies hire without a degree. Bachelor's helps for supervisory or corporate credit roles.
- 2Complete FDCPA + state trainingTraining required upon hire. Agencies provide + state licensing where required ($100-500 per state).
- 3Start as entry collectorLearn calling + documentation + payment negotiation + escalation. Attrition high in first 6-12 months.
- 4Move to specialty (medical + commercial + legal)3-5 years mastering + moving to higher-yield or specialty accounts. Medical + commercial pay more than consumer credit.
- 5Move to supervisory + corporate creditTeam lead + supervisor + manager tracks + or move to internal credit analyst or AR manager at corporate ($60-105k).
Career Progression
- β’Volume calling + collection
- β’Documentation + follow-up
- β’Learn FDCPA + processes
- β’Meet monthly quotas
- β’Own high-value accounts
- β’Skip tracing + research
- β’Complex negotiations + settlements
- β’Support legal referrals
- β’Supervise 8-20 collectors
- β’Coaching + performance mgmt
- β’Compliance monitoring
- β’Escalations
- β’Own department P&L
- β’Vendor + tech decisions
- β’CFPB audit readiness
- β’Team of 40-100+
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 15 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Walk me through your typical call flow.technical
Q2. How do you handle an angry debtor?situational
Q3. Explain FDCPA basics.technical
Q4. How do you handle a hardship debtor?behavioral
Q5. Where do you see career in 5 years?closer
Resume Template β Entry Collector (0-2 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
- βΈManaged queue of 250+ delinquent accounts collecting $180k monthly with 24% recovery rate.
- βΈAchieved 132% of quota consistently across 6 quarters at $2.4B agency.
- βΈCompleted 45+ hours FDCPA + state compliance training + zero compliance violations.
- βΈHandled 65+ debtor calls daily maintaining professional composure + written documentation standards.
What Gets You Rejected
- βFDCPA violations or complaints.
- βCant handle high-volume + emotional workload.
- βWeak documentation discipline.
- βCant maintain quota consistently.
- βPoor de-escalation skills.
- βNo specialty focus or growth plan.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βCommission structure varies wildly: percentage of collections + tiers + accelerators.
- βMedical + commercial + legal collections pay 20-40% more than consumer credit.
- βBilingual + Spanish speakers = $3-8k premium in many markets.
- βSr collector + skip tracer = premium role.
- βPath to internal credit at corporate = pay upside without high-emotion job.
- βSign-on: $2-8k common at experienced level.
- βCommissions can double base for top performers.
Bill and Account Collectors Resume Review β $29
Personalized resume review from someone who has hired bill and account collectorss. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.
- β Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
- β Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
- β Missing skills / keywords flagged
- β Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
- β 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it
Bill and Account Collectors Career Kit β $19
- β All 15 interview questions with expert answers
- β 7 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
- β Interview format intel for 7 top employers
- β 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
- β Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
- β 30β60β90 day plan for your first role
- β Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
- β Detailed salary negotiation script
- β Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
- β Downloadable PDF for offline access
- β Instant access, no expiration, no subscription
One-time purchase. 7-day refund guarantee.
Sample reviews β real customer reviews will appear here as they come in.
βThe interview question bank saved me. I got the exact question about 'walking through a DCF' at my Goldman Sachs superday, verbatim.β
β Anonymous, Financial Analyst
βCopy-paste negotiation emails are worth the price alone. I used the 'accepting with counter' template and got an extra $8k signing bonus.β
β Anonymous, Software Developer
βThe 30-60-90 day plan for a new grad RN was better than the orientation my hospital gave. Wish I'd bought this in nursing school.β
β Anonymous, Registered Nurse
Bill and Account Collectors Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
Top Paying States
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $62,230 | +32.3% |
| Alaska | $60,810 | +29.3% |
| Massachusetts | $59,800 | +27.2% |
| California | $57,930 | +23.2% |
| Connecticut | $57,930 | +23.2% |
| Vermont | $57,630 | +22.5% |
| Hawaii | $53,570 | +13.9% |
| New Jersey | $52,510 | +11.7% |
| Rhode Island | $52,000 | +10.6% |
| Oregon | $50,880 | +8.2% |
Bill and Account Collectors Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,360 | +64.5% |
| Napa, CA | $77,160 | +64.1% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,430 | +54.0% |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $64,970 | +38.1% |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $62,460 | +32.8% |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $61,640 | +31.1% |
| Kenosha, WI | $60,690 | +29.0% |
| Anchorage, AK | $60,430 | +28.5% |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $60,390 | +28.4% |
| New Haven, CT | $60,330 | +28.3% |