Collection agent vs collections representative

The differences between collection agents and collections representatives 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 a collections representative. Additionally, a collections representative has an average salary of $34,015, 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 a collections representative are payment arrangements, customer service, and delinquent accounts.

Collection agent vs collections representative overview

	Collection Agent	Collections Representative
Yearly salary	$32,689	$34,015
Hourly rate	$15.72	$16.35
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	47,837	85,275
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 33%
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 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.

Collection agent vs collections representative salary

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

	Collection Agent	Collections Representative
Average salary	$32,689	$34,015
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $48,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Livingston, NJ	San Ramon, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	JM Family Enterprises	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between collection agent and collections representative education

There are a few differences between a collection agent and a collections representative in terms of educational background:

	Collection Agent	Collections Representative
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Collection agent vs collections representative demographics

Here are the differences between collection agents' and collections representatives' demographics:

	Collection Agent	Collections Representative
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7%	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%
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, 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	8%	8%

Differences between collection agent and collections representative 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.

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.

Collection agent vs collections representative 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 collections representative skills

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

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Office and Administrative Industry
Collection Agent
Collection Agent vs Collections Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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