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Collection agent vs debt collector

The differences between collection agents and debt collectors 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 debt collector. Additionally, a debt collector has an average salary of $33,865, 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 debt collector are customer service, outbound calls, and payment arrangements.

Collection agent vs debt collector overview

Collection AgentDebt Collector
Yearly salary$32,689$33,865
Hourly rate$15.72$16.28
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs47,83723,385
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4646
Years of experience1212

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 debt collector do?

Debt collectors are also known as collection agencies and are responsible for recovering past due debts. Most of them are hired by companies to collect debt either for a fee or a percentage of the total amount recovered. Also, some debt collectors buy delinquent debts at a discount and seek to collect the debt's full amount. They have many strategies to collect debts, including calling debtor's phones, sending letters, and even visiting them at their home. However, if debtors fail to pay their due, debt collectors can either update the debtor's credit report or sue them over debt. Once sued and debtors ignore court hearings and lose by default, results could either be garnishment on debtor'debtors' wages or levies on their bank.

Collection agent vs debt collector salary

Collection agents and debt collectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Collection AgentDebt Collector
Average salary$32,689$33,865
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $48,000Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying CityLivingston, NJSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyJM Family EnterprisesMayor Ethan Berkowitz
Best paying industryFinanceConstruction

Differences between collection agent and debt collector education

There are a few differences between a collection agent and a debt collector in terms of educational background:

Collection AgentDebt Collector
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Collection agent vs debt collector demographics

Here are the differences between collection agents' and debt collectors' demographics:

Collection AgentDebt Collector
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 37.3% Female, 62.7%Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 3.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between collection agent and debt collector 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.
    • Show more

Debt collector example responsibilities.

  • Prevent impeding loss and increasing profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns, consistently achieving high success standards.
  • Work with FHA, obama programs at the time.
  • Educate customers on ways to get medical assistance such as Medicaid, Medicare etc.
  • Prevent foreclosure by putting people on repayment plans, submitting requests for modifications, or deed in lieu.
  • File Medicaid, Medicare and commercial claims consisting of PPO discounts, nurse practitioner discounts, humanitarian discounts, etc.
  • Maintain security and confidentiality of company and client information, following FDCPA regulations.
    • Show more

Collection agent vs debt collector 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 debt collector skills
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Outbound Calls, 9%
  • Payment Arrangements, 8%
  • Delinquent Accounts, 8%
  • Credit Card Payments, 6%
  • FDCPA, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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