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The differences between collectors and data 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 collector and a data collector. Additionally, a data collector has an average salary of $35,626, which is higher than the $34,872 average annual salary of a collector.
The top three skills for a collector include patients, customer service and payment arrangements. The most important skills for a data collector are audit type, grocery store, and retail store.
| Collector | Data Collector | |
| Yearly salary | $34,872 | $35,626 |
| Hourly rate | $16.77 | $17.13 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 23,948 | 80,812 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Collectors are responsible for monitoring and providing immediate actions for client accounts with overdue payments. Collectors must be able to contact clients through phone or e-mail. A collector's duty also includes negotiating on payment procedures and offering repayment plans and alternative payment solutions to free the debt. Collectors need to document any agreements made to the client, updating and verifying contact information, resolving account discrepancies and client complaints, and report escalated concerns to the management.
A data collector is responsible for providing accurate and adequate information needed for business purposes and lead generation. Data collectors must have excellent knowledge of the data processing procedures, especially on updating information on the database, conducting web research, and revising statistical data as needed. They also perform related administrative and clerical duties, such as responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, writing reports, tracking business transactions, and creating business presentations. A data collector should be detail-oriented, doing tasks under minimal supervision, and complying with management deadlines.
Collectors and data collectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Collector | Data Collector | |
| Average salary | $34,872 | $35,626 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $31,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Uline | EDC |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a collector and a data collector in terms of educational background:
| Collector | Data Collector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between collectors' and data collectors' demographics:
| Collector | Data Collector | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% | Male, 40.6% Female, 59.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |