Accounts receivable clerk vs collections/accounts receivable

The differences between accounts receivable clerks and collections/accounts receivables can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an accounts receivable clerk, becoming a collections/accounts receivable takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a collections/accounts receivable has an average salary of $38,949, which is higher than the $36,425 average annual salary of an accounts receivable clerk.

The top three skills for an accounts receivable clerk include customer service, data entry and collection calls. The most important skills for a collections/accounts receivable are customer service, patients, and delinquent accounts.

Accounts receivable clerk vs collections/accounts receivable overview

	Accounts Receivable Clerk	Collections/Accounts Receivable
Yearly salary	$36,425	$38,949
Hourly rate	$17.51	$18.73
Growth rate	-5%	-8%
Number of jobs	87,935	30,523
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	51	46
Years of experience	6	12

What does an accounts receivable clerk do?

An Accounts Receivable Clerk specializes in processing payment records and bill statements of a company or organization. Among the duties include calculating total revenues and unpaid invoices, maintaining financial records and keeping a detailed and organized database, and verifying financial transactions and payment delinquencies. Furthermore, an Accounts Receivable Clerk must resolve and examine deductions, prepare invoices and necessary documentation, and review customer payment plans and history records and coordinate with the collections department should there be any issues.

What does a collections/accounts receivable do?

An officer for collections/accounts receivable is in charge of a company's financial activities, ensuring that they receive payment from clients. They primarily focus on overseeing all billing and invoices, processing and verifying all receipts and rendered services, maintaining an accurate record of all transactions, producing reports and presentations, reviewing account and payment histories, and ensuring the accuracy of all processes involving the matter. Furthermore, should there be any complex issues, it is essential to reach out to a manager or a supervisor right away.

Accounts receivable clerk vs collections/accounts receivable salary

Accounts receivable clerks and collections/accounts receivables have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounts Receivable Clerk	Collections/Accounts Receivable
Average salary	$36,425	$38,949
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $45,000	Between $30,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Connecticut
Best paying company	IBM	Apollo Global Management
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between accounts receivable clerk and collections/accounts receivable education

There are a few differences between an accounts receivable clerk and a collections/accounts receivable in terms of educational background:

	Accounts Receivable Clerk	Collections/Accounts Receivable
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Accounts receivable clerk vs collections/accounts receivable demographics

Here are the differences between accounts receivable clerks' and collections/accounts receivables' demographics:

	Accounts Receivable Clerk	Collections/Accounts Receivable
Average age	51	46
Gender ratio	Male, 13.7% Female, 86.3%	Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	8%

Differences between accounts receivable clerk and collections/accounts receivable duties and responsibilities

Accounts receivable clerk example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor weekly bank deposit runs and record deposits into QuickBooks.
Manage profitable accounts receivable ledgers for existing and new clientele maintaining accuracy of monies enter to appropriate relate account.
Obtain online reports of bank transactions, including deposits, ACH, EFT and wire payments from multiple banking institutions.
Utilize QuickBooks accounting software for billing/invoices, generate statements.
Perform necessary adjustments using knowledge of Medicare and all third party insurance.
Investigate and resolve any out-of-balances including credit card discrepancies / lockbox exceptions.

Collections/accounts receivable example responsibilities.

Plan and conduct sensitive HUMINT collection operations with an emphasis on managing and debriefing confidential sources.
Work accounts receivable for Medicaid verification and payments.
Work remittance advice from Medicaid ensuring accuracy of payments.
Research and obtain extensive knowledge of FDCPA debt recovery laws and assist in recovering commercial debt from organizations.
Communicate effectively with patients, physicians, hospital staff, and insurance representatives to ensure accuracy in claims processing.
Review claims to determine if process correctly and if necessary, direct patients to contact insurance companies regarding additional benefit questions.

Accounts receivable clerk vs collections/accounts receivable skills

Common accounts receivable clerk skills

Customer Service, 12%
Data Entry, 9%
Collection Calls, 8%
Financial Data, 7%
Credit Card Payments, 5%
Process Payments, 5%

Common collections/accounts receivable skills

Customer Service, 21%
Patients, 6%
Delinquent Accounts, 5%
Credit Card Payments, 5%
Past Due Accounts, 5%
Customer Accounts, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Accounts Receivable Clerk
Accounts Receivable Clerk vs Collections/Accounts Receivable

Updated January 8, 2025

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