Accounting representative vs collections representative

The differences between accounting representatives and collections representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an accounting representative, becoming a collections representative takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an accounting representative has an average salary of $43,876, which is higher than the $34,015 average annual salary of a collections representative.

The top three skills for an accounting representative include patients, data entry and payroll. The most important skills for a collections representative are payment arrangements, customer service, and delinquent accounts.

Accounting representative vs collections representative overview

	Accounting Representative	Collections Representative
Yearly salary	$43,876	$34,015
Hourly rate	$21.09	$16.35
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	111,415	85,275
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	51	46
Years of experience	6	12

What does an accounting representative do?

Account representatives are in charge of making sales. Their primary duties include designing and maintaining customer accounts, as well as being a liaison between the organization and clients. They constantly communicate with clients, respond to their concerns, and monitor transactions as well as payments. Also, they develop company invoices, regularly keeping track of client's transactions, maintaining records of the client's account, and routinely auditing them. The job requirements include strong communication and negotiation skills, relevant experience in sales, and confidence.

What does a collections representative do?

A Collections Representative's role is to collect payment for outstanding or overdue bills through phone calls, email, mail, or sometimes personal appointments. A Collections Representative is required to have a great deal of research and communication skills in order to reach out to people and explain how to settle their debts or even negotiate a payment term or plan. Collections Representatives must also make sure that these terms are honored and met, and create reports for the creditor regarding the delinquent accounts.

Accounting representative vs collections representative salary

Accounting representatives and collections representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Representative	Collections Representative
Average salary	$43,876	$34,015
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $65,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Menlo Park, CA	San Ramon, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Amazon	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Automotive	Finance

Differences between accounting representative and collections representative education

There are a few differences between an accounting representative and a collections representative in terms of educational background:

	Accounting Representative	Collections Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Accounting representative vs collections representative demographics

Here are the differences between accounting representatives' and collections representatives' demographics:

	Accounting Representative	Collections Representative
Average age	51	46
Gender ratio	Male, 21.6% Female, 78.4%	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	8%

Differences between accounting representative and collections representative duties and responsibilities

Accounting representative example responsibilities.

Review and verify invoices and administer check, ACH, and wire payments.
Submit claims; re-bill claims, adjustments claims, and collections from Medicare, Medicaid and other commercial insurance payers.
Balance ACH debit exception report, ACH credit exception report and share draft non-post report and enter corresponding general ledger entries.
Submit claims to Medicare and Medicaid utilizing IDX system for electronic processing.
Prepare daily reconciliations of policy relate cash receipts and disbursements and suspense accounts.
Resolve errors by resubmitting correct or unacknowledge claims, medical records, appeals and other documentation require for timely payments.

Collections representative example responsibilities.

Protect A/R assets by managing a portfolio of accounts to maximize gainful sales and reduce debt losses.
Maintain effective communication and utilize negotiation skills with internal and external customers to effect collections while maintaining customer good will.
Submit all reconsideration and appeals if need.
Conduct periodic data cleaning of queues balances deny with deny appeals.
Resolve valid or authorize NSF charges due to decline credit cards or ACH transactions.
Collect and count inventories, reconcile purchases and scan UPC's and inputting price information.

Accounting representative vs collections representative skills

Common accounting representative skills

Patients, 15%
Data Entry, 8%
Payroll, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Computer System, 5%
Financial Reports, 5%

Common collections representative skills

Payment Arrangements, 14%
Customer Service, 13%
Delinquent Accounts, 9%
Past Due Accounts, 6%
Customer Accounts, 4%
Debt Repayment, 4%

Accounting Representative vs. similar jobs

Accounting Representative related careers

Accounting Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Accounting Representative
Accounting Representative vs Collections Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs