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Bill and Account Collector

What Does it Take to Be a Bill and Account Collector?

Job Description: 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.

A Day in the Life of a Bill Collector

  • Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
  • Notify credit departments, order merchandise repossession or service disconnection, and turn over account records to attorneys when customers fail to respond to collection attempts.
  • Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers’ financial situations.
  • Perform various administrative functions for assigned accounts, such as recording address changes and purging the records of deceased customers.
  • Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
  • Trace delinquent customers to new addresses by inquiring at post offices, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or through the questioning of neighbors.

Things a Bill Collector Should Know How to Do

Bill and Account Collectors state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Collections Representative
  • Collections Clerk
  • Account Representative
  • Account Service Representative
  • Collection Agent

Bill Collector Employment Estimates

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 305,700 jobs in the United States for Bill and Account Collector. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Bill and Account Collector. There will be an estimated 30,200 positions for Bill Collector per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Bill Collector are Utah, Maryland, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Illinois, Maine, or Alabama. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Bill and Account Collectors Salary

Bill and Account Collectors make between $24,620 and $55,360 a year.

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Bill and Account Collectors who work in District of Columbia, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Bill and Account Collectors in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $35,570
Alaska $45,540
Arizona $36,430
Arkansas $32,120
California $44,340
Colorado $40,730
Connecticut $45,360
Delaware $39,190
District of Columbia $64,210
Florida $36,070
Georgia $37,180
Hawaii $41,540
Idaho $36,270
Illinois $38,610
Indiana $35,230
Iowa $35,450
Kansas $33,640
Kentucky $36,650
Louisiana $33,170
Maine $36,330
Maryland $42,950
Massachusetts $45,810
Michigan $39,800
Minnesota $39,780
Mississippi $33,440
Missouri $35,150
Montana $35,570
Nebraska $34,990
Nevada $36,710
New Hampshire $37,410
New Jersey $45,260
New Mexico $37,350
New York $42,310
North Carolina $35,970
North Dakota $43,090
Ohio $35,900
Oklahoma $35,420
Oregon $39,130
Pennsylvania $37,340
Rhode Island $43,100
South Carolina $35,700
South Dakota $32,570
Tennessee $33,940
Texas $36,590
Utah $33,500
Vermont $42,350
Virginia $41,060
Washington $40,400
West Virginia $33,350
Wisconsin $38,400
Wyoming $37,850

What Tools do Bill and Account Collectors Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Bill and Account Collectors may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Word processing software
  • SAP
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • MEDITECH software
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • LexisNexis
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
  • NetSuite ERP
  • Medical condition coding software

Becoming a Bill Collector

Education needed to be a Bill and Account Collector:

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Bill Collector?

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Where Bill and Account Collectors Work

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Career changers with experience as a Bill and Account Collector sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Dave Dugdale via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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