Bill and Account Collectors

Career Overview

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 Known As

• Collector
• Debt Collector
• Patient Access Specialist
• Patient Account Representative

Alternate Job Titles

• Account Receivable Associate
• Account Representative
• Account Service Representative
• Accounts Collector
• Accounts Receivable Specialist (AR Specialist)
• Bad Credit Collector
• Bilingual Collections Specialist
• Bill Collector
• Billing Representative
• Car Repossessor
• Chaser
• Claims Collector
• Collection Agent
• Collection Clerk
• Collection Representative

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Active Listening
2. Speaking

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Written Expression
• Near Vision
• Selective Attention
• Category Flexibility
• Problem Sensitivity

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Self-Control
• Integrity
• Perseverance

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Achievement
• Working Conditions
• Independence

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Intuit QuickBooks
• MEDITECH software
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• SAP software

Tools & Equipment

• Amplified telephones
• Autodialers
• Laptop computers
• Personal digital assistants PDA
• Predictive dialers
• Scanners

Work Environment

• Contact With Others
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Spend Time Sitting
• Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
• Telephone Conversations

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$33,960
Median	$46,040
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$65,830

Workers Employed Nationally: 165,020

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.