How To Become A Collections Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a collections technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Collections Technicians are professionals who act as the contact between a company's creditors and customers. They are responsible for tracking accounts to identify delinquent payments and report collection activities. They are also liable to answer client questions and establish repayment strategies.

Collections Technicians should display professionalism and reliability. They should also have good knowledge of laws and policies related to debt collection. On a daily basis, they monitor and investigate accounts to address issues like refunds and ensure office efficiency properly. Strong communication skills in both verbal and written are needed for this role.

Most employers require at least a high school diploma or equivalent qualification. However, some would prefer candidates that have experience working as collections technicians or in a similar role. Candidates should have a strong knowledge of billing and collection processes and be also skilled in negotiation. The average annual salary of collections technicians is $34,470 in the United States. Compensation may vary depending on various factors like education, years of experience in the field, and additional skills.

ScoreCollections TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,521

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.01%

Asian 10.11%

Black or African American 9.90%

Hispanic or Latino 17.32%

Unknown 3.95%

White 57.71%

Gender

female 71.84%

male 28.16%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a collections technician

Explore collections technician education requirements

Most common collections technician degrees

Certificate

24.3 %

Bachelor's

23.8 %

Associate

22.5 %

Start to develop specific collections technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Physical Exams	44.89%
Phlebotomy Procedures	7.19%
Customer Service	6.52%
Vital Signs	4.10%
Venipuncture	3.74%

Complete relevant collections technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New collections technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a collections technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real collections technician resumes.

Gain additional collections technician certifications

Collections technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific collections technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for collections technicians include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Phlebotomy Technician (PBT(ASCP)).

More About Certifications

Research collections technician duties and responsibilities

Identify 2RBC products target for monthly QC or validation activities.
Set up mobile blood drives, maintain and perform daily QC on equipment.
Process, prepare, label, and store the units of blood to the FDA regulations.
Perform venipuncture and collect specimens in appropriate vials.

Prepare your collections technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your collections technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a collections technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable collections technician resume templates

Build a professional collections technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your collections technician resume.