Collection agent vs accounts receivable analyst

The differences between collection agents and accounts receivable analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a collection agent and an accounts receivable analyst. Additionally, an accounts receivable analyst has an average salary of $43,692, which is higher than the $32,689 average annual salary of a collection agent.

The top three skills for a collection agent include customer service, payment arrangements and delinquent accounts. The most important skills for an accounts receivable analyst are customer service, reconciliations, and customer accounts.

Collection agent vs accounts receivable analyst overview

	Collection Agent	Accounts Receivable Analyst
Yearly salary	$32,689	$43,692
Hourly rate	$15.72	$21.01
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	47,837	26,558
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

What does a collection agent do?

A collections agent is responsible for communicating with clients to collect payment for their overdue bills and outstanding balances. Collections agents monitor and update a customer's account information in the system, offer repayment plans, manage billing disputes, negotiate sales terms, and maintain records of account resolution. They must evaluate customers' credit reports and delinquency levels to skip tracing priorities. A collections agent must have excellent communication and customer service skills to listen to customers' requests and initiate payment procedures.

What does an accounts receivable analyst do?

An Accounts Receivable Analyst provides accounts receivable support through monitoring all aspects of the collection of outstanding debts owed to a company. They check missing and unresolved payment issues, monitor overdue accounts, and prepare statements for managers.

Collection agent vs accounts receivable analyst salary

Collection agents and accounts receivable analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Collection Agent	Accounts Receivable Analyst
Average salary	$32,689	$43,692
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $48,000	Between $33,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Livingston, NJ	Arlington, VA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Connecticut
Best paying company	JM Family Enterprises	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
Best paying industry	Finance	Hospitality

Differences between collection agent and accounts receivable analyst education

There are a few differences between a collection agent and an accounts receivable analyst in terms of educational background:

	Collection Agent	Accounts Receivable Analyst
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Collection agent vs accounts receivable analyst demographics

Here are the differences between collection agents' and accounts receivable analysts' demographics:

	Collection Agent	Accounts Receivable Analyst
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7%	Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 14.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 3.5% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between collection agent and accounts receivable analyst duties and responsibilities

Collection agent example responsibilities.

Manage patient focuse reports, collection modules, provider/facility A/R, collections, patient discharge letters.
Used computer GPS to locate vehicles.
Input assignments and update clients via computer programs (RDN and PRIOS).
Demonstrate professionalism and customer support while following FDCPA guidelines.
Assist in preventing impending losses and increase profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns.
Utilize effective negotiation skills by collecting payments from debtors of unpaid accounts via telephone and written communication.

Accounts receivable analyst example responsibilities.

Manage profitable accounts receivable ledgers for existing and new clientele maintaining accuracy of monies enter to appropriate relate account.
Perform and analyze all accounts receivable duties, including proper application of cash, check, ACH, and wire transactions.
Forecast estimate check clearing, deposits, ACH activities and other variables in order to set guidelines for daily cash position.
Verify benefits and eligibility for new patients.
Determine medical benefits base on contractual agreements assuring benefits are applied correctly for patients during claims processing.
Code invoices, research customer information, perform detail reconciliations, analyze exceptions with customer information and billing.

Collection agent vs accounts receivable analyst skills

Common collection agent skills

Customer Service, 20%
Payment Arrangements, 19%
Delinquent Accounts, 7%
Debt Repayment, 6%
Past Due Accounts, 5%
Debt Collection, 3%

Common accounts receivable analyst skills

Customer Service, 13%
Reconciliations, 8%
Customer Accounts, 7%
Pivot Tables, 4%
Patients, 4%
Financial Reports, 4%

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Collection Agent vs Accounts Receivable Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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