How much does a bill collector make?
a year · about $23 an hour
A typical bill collector in the United States makes $47,030 a year, about $23 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
At a computer, a collector checks overdue accounts, then calls or writes people to explain the bill, hear what happened, and discuss a payment plan. They record each contact and payment, follow up, or send unresolved cases to the creditor.
Did you know? If someone moves without updating their address, collectors may use “skip tracing”—checking online, postal, credit-bureau, and other sources to find them.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $34,400 and $65,580How do you become one?
In the U.S., finish high school or an equivalent and apply for a collector job; classes in communication, accounting, or computers can help. After hiring, employers train new collectors on software, debt laws, and negotiation.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like keeping things organized and leading and selling
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience, location, and employer industry can affect pay; BLS data show differences across business-support, credit, health-care, and management employers. Most collectors work full time, while some have evening or weekend shifts.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Massachusetts ($59,800), lowest in Mississippi ($37,680).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $34,400 | $47,030 | $65,580 | about 159,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $59,800 | about 3,000 |
| California | $57,930 | about 14,000 |
| Connecticut | $57,930 | about 900 |
| New Jersey | $52,510 | about 3,000 |
| Oregon | $50,880 | about 830 |
Official definition: 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.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/bill-and-account-collectors.ht
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/43-3011.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/earnings.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY