How to hire an accounts receivable specialist

How to hire an accounts receivable specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step accounts receivable specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an accounts receivable specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new accounts receivable specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an accounts receivable specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the accounts receivable specialist you need to hire. Certain accounts receivable specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An accounts receivable specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, accounts receivable specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of accounts receivable specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Accounts Receivable Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Accounts Receivable Specialist	Bill and account collectors, sometimes called collectors, try to recover payment on overdue bills. They negotiate repayment plans with debtors and help them find solutions to make paying their overdue bills easier.	$14-24
   Billing And Insurance Coordinator	A billing and insurance coordinator is responsible for coordinating with employees from different departments of an organization for billing and insurance processing purposes. Billing and insurance coordinators sort mail for distribution to appropriate personnel, performing administrative and clerical duties as needed, managing and releasing of invoices under the manager's supervision, and responding to employees' inquiries and concerns... Show more	$12-28
   Collections Coordinator	Usually working alongside a company's account receivables team, a collections coordinator is in charge of developing strategies to optimize the payment collection operations. Among their responsibilities include reaching out to clients through calls or correspondence to remind them of their payment obligations, arranging appointments, processing payments, arranging payment terms, and researching a client's communication information such as cellphone number, address, or email... Show more	$14-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • Data Entry
   • Credit Card Payments
   • Reconciliations
   • Accounts Receivables
   • Collection Calls
   • Financial Reports
   • General Ledger
   • Medicaid
   • Past Due Accounts
   • Medical Billing
   • Cash Receipts
   • Credit Memos

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage profitable accounts receivable ledgers for existing and new clientele maintaining accuracy of monies enter to appropriate relate account.
   • Perform accounts reconciliations, complex invoice research, statement reconciliations, complex invoice research, statement reconciliation and journal entries.
   • Follow company's standard operating procedures in cooperation with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance providers to resolve billing issues.
   • Cash and credit allocation of customer payments in ROSS ERP system.
   • Prepare PowerPoint presentations, word documents, letters and spreadsheets while meeting deadlines.
   • Reconcile direct billing accounts and adjust product pricing utilizing JD Edwards EnterpriseONE ERP system.

   More accounts receivable specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your accounts receivable specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An accounts receivable specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, accounts receivable specialists' average salary in arkansas is 42% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level accounts receivable specialists 38% less than senior-level accounts receivable specialists.
   • Certifications. An accounts receivable specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an accounts receivable specialist's salary.

   Average accounts receivable specialist salary

   $39,873yearly

   $19.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level accounts receivable specialist salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average accounts receivable specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$52,395	$25
   2	Massachusetts	$48,911	$24
   3	New York	$47,481	$23
   4	California	$46,868	$23
   5	Maryland	$43,425	$21
   6	Virginia	$42,418	$20
   7	Pennsylvania	$41,403	$20
   8	Michigan	$40,917	$20
   9	Colorado	$40,890	$20
   10	Washington	$40,736	$20
   11	Minnesota	$40,387	$19
   12	Maine	$39,670	$19
   13	Texas	$39,002	$19
   14	Illinois	$38,732	$19
   15	Arizona	$38,686	$19
   16	Oregon	$38,361	$18
   17	Georgia	$38,315	$18
   18	North Carolina	$38,224	$18
   19	Nevada	$37,818	$18
   20	Wisconsin	$37,161	$18

   Average accounts receivable specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Infosys Public Service	$74,820	$35.97	7
   2	Radancy	$69,963	$33.64
   3	Regeneron	$69,423	$33.38	2
   4	Astronics	$69,051	$33.20
   5	Novartis	$68,879	$33.11	31
   6	Meta	$68,545	$32.95	22
   7	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$67,458	$32.43
   8	Apptio	$67,049	$32.24
   9	Erp Analysts	$65,453	$31.47
   10	BWX Technologies	$60,535	$29.10	4
   11	Aya Healthcare	$59,534	$28.62	1
   12	Sidley Austin	$59,072	$28.40	6
   13	Baptist Health Home Care	$57,976	$27.87	7
   14	National Renewable Energy Laboratory	$56,027	$26.94
   15	Satellite Healthcare	$55,634	$26.75
   16	Wipro Limited	$55,618	$26.74	2
   17	NexTier Oilfield Solutions	$55,355	$26.61
   18	Graco	$54,521	$26.21
   19	Gifted Healthcare	$54,382	$26.15
   20	Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle	$53,678	$25.81

4. Writing an accounts receivable specialist job description

   An accounts receivable specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an accounts receivable specialist job description:

   Accounts receivable specialist job description example

   This position is responsible for reviewing, resolving all L&W National/Strategic Account payment applications, disputes, and invoice collection, accurately, and consistently using high-quality customer service. This position is responsible for overall Accounts Receivable maintenance and the unique handling that these customers require.
   KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
   Process Expertise: Daily accountability for the following activities associated with Strategic Accounts. The AR Specialist prepares remittances received from customers in order to ensure accurate cash posting. Responsible for resolving all customer account disputes as well as collecting on aged open invoices; using customer proprietary portals. All activities were completed independently with little to no feedback from their Lead.
   
   Develop Customer Relationships: Build and maintain relationships with customers of AR within L&W; demonstrate a solid understanding of our business. The AR Specialist's services enable and influence our customer's business priorities. Interact and conduct business with our internal/external customers with a high degree of professionalism and customer service.Build Our Capabilities: Ensure L&W customer payment application, dispute, and collection are resolved in a timely manner, according to standards and that the root causes of recurring exceptions are identified and addressed; promote a courteous, friendly demeanor across the team when handling inquiries both internally and externally. Utilize exceptional customer service skills as they interact with L&W's customers.
   
   Leadership, Communication, and Teamwork: Actively engage in problems/conflict resolution, coaching, counseling, training, and development.
   
   JOB REQUIREMENTS
   Proficient knowledge of accounting principles accounts receivable processes and controls and customer service experience.Must have at least 3 years of experience in finance and accounting positions including 1-2 years of accounts receivable experience.Understanding of business priorities from a sales perspective. Understanding of the credit/collection process.Strong communication skills are a must; both written and verbal.Ability to work in a team environment Ability and willingness to communicate ideas and recommendations in a clear and concise manner Strong MS Excel Skills
   
   Preferred:
   Experience with Agility, OnBase, and GetPaid Collections System Experience with customer proprietary portals a plus, but not required
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer / Drug-Free Workplace

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right accounts receivable specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your accounts receivable specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality accounts receivable specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting accounts receivable specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new accounts receivable specialist

   Once you've selected the best accounts receivable specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new accounts receivable specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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