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.

Also Known As:

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

Wages

Hourly

Annual wages for Bill and Account Collectors in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2033 Projected Employment

177,800

-10% Change From 2023

Explore Bill and Account Collectors video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
Confer with customers by telephone or in person to determine reasons for overdue payments and to review the terms of sales, service, or credit contracts.
Notify credit departments, order merchandise repossession or service disconnection, and turn over account records to attorneys when customers fail to respond to collection attempts.
Trace delinquent customers to new addresses by inquiring at post offices, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or through the questioning of neighbors.
Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
Negotiate credit extensions when necessary.
Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.
Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment.
Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise.
Receive payments and post amounts paid to customer accounts.
Trace delinquent customers to new addresses by inquiring at post offices, telephone companies, credit bureaus, or through the questioning of neighbors.
Sort and file correspondence and perform miscellaneous clerical duties, such as answering correspondence and writing reports.
Perform various administrative functions for assigned accounts, such as recording address changes and purging the records of deceased customers.
Contact insurance companies to check on status of claims payments and write appeal letters for denial on claims.
Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.