CFChooseField
Office and Administration

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.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Bill and Account Collectors
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Median pay

$46,040
Median annual pay for Bill and Account Collectors.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

-10.5%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

13,700
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

166,900
Estimated U.S. employment for Bill and Account Collectors in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

-17,500
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

High school diploma or equivalent
Typical additional preparation: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Active Listening
  2. 2Speaking
  3. 3Writing
  4. 4Critical Thinking
  5. 5Reading Comprehension
  6. 6Monitoring

Knowledge areas

  1. 1English Language
  2. 2Customer and Personal Service
  3. 3Mathematics
  4. 4Economics and Accounting
  5. 5Law and Government
  6. 6Computers and Electronics

Abilities

  1. 1Oral Comprehension
  2. 2Oral Expression
  3. 3Speech Clarity
  4. 4Speech Recognition
  5. 5Written Comprehension
  6. 6Written Expression

Career interests

  1. 1Conventional
  2. 2Enterprising
  3. 3Social
  4. 4Realistic
  5. 5Artistic
  6. 6Investigative

Work styles

  1. 1Dependability
  2. 2Attention to Detail
  3. 3Self-Control
  4. 4Integrity
  5. 5Perseverance
  6. 6Stress Tolerance

Work activities

  1. 1Working with Computers
  2. 2Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  3. 3Documenting/Recording Information
  4. 4Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  5. 5Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
  6. 6Getting Information

Work context

  1. 1Contact With Others
  2. 2Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  3. 3Spend Time Sitting
  4. 4Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
  5. 5Telephone Conversations
  6. 6Importance of Repeating Same Tasks

Representative tasks

  • 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.
  • 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.

Software and tools

Microsoft Excel · in demandSAP software · in demandMicrosoft Office software · in demandMicrosoft Outlook · in demandMicrosoft Word · in demandMEDITECH software · hot technologyIntuit QuickBooks · hot technologyMicrosoft PowerPoint · hot technologyMicrosoft Dynamics GPNetSuite ERPOntario Systems FACSOptical character recognition OCR software

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

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