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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.

Watch this work See majors and colleges
Other titles employers use

Account Representative · Accounts Receivable Specialist (AR Specialist) · Collection Agent · Collection Specialist · Collector · Debt Collector · Patient Access Specialist · Patient Account Representative

Inside the work

What you would actually do.

6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.

  • 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.

Who it suits

Would this work hold your attention?

This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, persuading and helping work.

Organizing
Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Persuading
Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case

Skills and strengths

What you would get good at.

Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.

Core skills

  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Persuasion
  • Writing
  • Reading Comprehension

Subjects to know

  • English Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Mathematics
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Law and Government

Useful strengths

  • Oral Comprehension
  • Oral Expression
  • Written Comprehension
  • Speech Recognition
  • Speech Clarity

Working day

Picture yourself doing it.

These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.

How this job scores on four measures of working conditions, out of five
MeasureOut of 5What that means here
Close to other people2.8 Largely your own space
On your feet1.8 Mostly seated
Talking face to face3.8 A regular part of the day
Working with your hands2.1 Little of the day

Preparation

How people prepare for this work.

Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.

  • High school or less 51%
  • A certificate or some college 28%
  • A four-year degree 21%

Tools of the work

Technology you may use.

  • Accounting software
  • Medical software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Office suite software
  • Electronic mail software
  • Presentation software
  • Word processing software

Opportunity near you

See where this work is growing.

Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.

Selected stateTexas
People doing this work
24,720
Job openings each year
2,620
Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
—
Compare every available state
State People doing it Job openings each year Expected change
Texas 24,720 2,620 —
California 22,400 2,310 −5.9%
Florida 14,360 1,470 −7.2%
New York 14,220 40 3.1%
Georgia 9,840 1,040 −1.9%
Arizona 7,990 860 1.7%
North Carolina 7,720 800 −5.5%
Ohio 6,850 680 −12.7%
Pennsylvania 6,750 690 −8.9%
Illinois 5,710 560 −14.5%
South Carolina 5,540 590 —
Utah 4,720 490 −3.9%
Michigan 4,210 420 −10.6%
Tennessee 4,080 430 −1.0%
Missouri 3,990 410 −8.5%
Virginia 3,770 370 −13.5%
Minnesota 3,730 370 −14.8%
New Jersey 3,680 370 −9.6%
Washington 3,580 410 5.9%
Indiana 3,370 340 −11.5%
Maryland 3,350 350 −5.6%
Kentucky 2,970 310 −6.0%
Puerto Rico 2,730 290 −2.2%
Nevada 2,510 260 −2.0%
Colorado 2,400 250 −1.2%
Alabama 2,390 240 −8.4%
Wisconsin 2,260 230 −12.4%
Oklahoma 2,150 220 −6.5%
Iowa 2,000 210 −7.8%
Kansas 1,930 200 −9.4%
South Dakota 1,850 190 −10.2%
Louisiana 1,810 180 −10.4%
Idaho 1,710 180 —
Mississippi 1,220 130 −4.7%
Nebraska 1,160 120 −4.9%
Arkansas 1,120 110 −11.8%
Oregon 1,010 100 −14.4%
Delaware 860 90 −11.3%
Massachusetts 860 90 −8.5%
New Hampshire 810 80 −5.8%
Connecticut 700 70 −9.1%
West Virginia 660 70 −5.7%
Maine 460 50 −9.8%
Alaska 390 40 −4.9%
Montana 390 40 −2.5%
New Mexico 290 30 −3.3%
District of Columbia 280 30 −9.7%
Rhode Island 280 30 −15.2%
North Dakota 250 30 −13.8%
Wyoming 230 30 4.5%
Guam 100 10 −9.1%
Vermont 100 10 −16.7%
Virgin Islands 30 0 —

Career to college

Build a path toward this work.

Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.

CareerBill and Account Collectors
Most direct field Finance

Where to study

Colleges with strong activity in these fields.

Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.

NY

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

Degrees each year
891
Admit rate
50%
Annual cost after aid
$6,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college OH

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Degrees each year
817
Admit rate
51%
Annual cost after aid
$10,000

Program entryOpen major

Open college FL

Florida State University

Degrees each year
703
Admit rate
25%
Annual cost after aid
$10,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college SC

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Degrees each year
597
Admit rate
61%
Annual cost after aid
$20,000

Program entryOpen major

Open college PA

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

Degrees each year
577
Admit rate
54%
Annual cost after aid
$26,000

Program entryDirect to major

Open college FL

Florida International University

Degrees each year
573
Admit rate
59%
Annual cost after aid
$11,000

Program entryOpen major

Open college AL

The University of Alabama

Degrees each year
572
Admit rate
76%
Annual cost after aid
$22,000

Program entryOpen major

Open college GA

University of Georgia

Degrees each year
545
Admit rate
37%
Annual cost after aid
$13,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college

Compare every college offering finance and financial management services

Keep exploring

Careers with something in common.

Compare paths that use similar training and strengths.

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