What is a bill collector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

Bill collectors are in charge of finding and informing customers of their debts. They negotiate with them on ways to resolve debts through payment agreements. They collect debt payments over the phone using checks, debit cards, or credit cards. Furthermore, they evaluate customer accounts to determine how much they owe. Additionally, they calculate the amounts to be paid to resolve the customer's debt within a given timeframe. Besides that, they resolve customer disputes over account balances and payments owed. Also, they note communications and resolutions reached in customer accounts.

Employers seek applicants who have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Some employers require previous related work experience. On-the-job training is provided for this position. Relevant skills include maths, data entry, analytical, computer, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills. Bill collectors earn an average annual income of $33,997 or $16.34 per hour. It varies between $30,000 and $37,000.

ScoreBill CollectorUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $35,585

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.9

Growth Rate -8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 3.49%

Black or African American 11.78%

Hispanic or Latino 23.96%

Unknown 3.98%

White 56.30%

Gender

female 79.99%

male 20.01%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress Level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.9

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Bill Collector career paths

Key steps to become a bill collector

  1. Explore bill collector education requirements

    Most common bill collector degrees

    High School Diploma

    27.1 %

    Associate

    24.7 %

    Bachelor's

    19.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific bill collector skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients19.29%
    Customer Service7.48%
    Medicaid5.57%
    Medical Billing4.37%
    Patient Accounts4.11%
  3. Complete relevant bill collector training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bill collectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bill collector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bill collector resumes.
  4. Research bill collector duties and responsibilities

    • Prevent impeding loss and increasing profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns, consistently achieving high success standards.
    • Follow HIPPA and FDCPA guidelines to ensure legal collection practices are utilized.
    • Bill and collect all skil Medicare, and other insurance claims which include HMO claims denials.
    • Provide patients with information and resources essential to their financial needs including payment arrangements and account reminders.
  5. Prepare your bill collector resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bill collector resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bill collector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Bill Collector Resume templates

    Build a professional Bill Collector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Bill Collector resume.
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    Bill Collector Resume
  6. Apply for bill collector jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a bill collector job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Bill Collector Job

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Average bill collector salary

The average Bill Collector salary in the United States is $35,585 per year or $17 per hour. Bill collector salaries range between $30,000 and $40,000 per year.

Average Bill Collector Salary
$35,585 Yearly
$17.11 hourly

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How do bill collectors rate their job?

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Bill Collector reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

It very challenging job

Cons

Without proper location of customer wear we need to visit


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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