How to hire bill and account collectors
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment. • Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts. • Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations. • 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. • Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems. • 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. • Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, speaking, writing, critical thinking, reading comprehension and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of English Language and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $22.61 an hour ($47,030 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for bill and account collectors
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to 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. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe something important you wrote at work, such as a report, notes or an email. Who read it and what happened next?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What bill and account collectors do
- Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment.
- Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts.
- Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations.
- 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.
- Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems.
- 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.
- Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for bill and account collectors
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -10.4% over ten years, declining · about 11,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay bill and account collectors
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $59,800 |
| California | $57,930 |
| Connecticut | $57,930 |
| New Jersey | $52,510 |
| Oregon | $50,880 |
| Louisiana | $39,130 |
| Arkansas | $39,110 |
| Mississippi | $37,680 |
See bill and account collectors pay in every state
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- Procurement Clerks
- Tellers
- Financial Clerks, All Other
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.