How to hire a credit counselor

How to hire a credit counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step credit counselor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a credit counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new credit counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a credit counselor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A credit counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, credit counselors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of credit counselors.

   Type of Credit Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Credit Counselor		$12-28
   Loan Officer	Loan officers are responsible for assisting borrowers on the best type of loans to avail and guiding the clients throughout the application process. A loan officer must be highly knowledgeable about different lending products, payment plans, loan regulations, and essential files for fast loan approval... Show more	$14-33
   Loan Analyst	A loan analyst is responsible for determining the eligibility of loan applicants in purchasing loan services by analyzing their application documents, account statements, and financial and credit status. Loan analysts evaluate loan agreements and payment plans and explain feasibility to the customers and loan officers before granting the loan... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Debt Management
   • Outbound Calls
   • Inbound Calls
   • Payment Arrangements
   • Credit Reviews
   • Delinquent Accounts
   • Budget Analysis
   • Action Plan
   • Financial Education
   • Community Resources
   • Past Due Accounts
   • Interest Rates
   • Customer Accounts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage accounting operations, accounting close, account reporting and reconciliations.
   • Conduct underwriting reviews on FHA, VA, and other conforming and non-conforming loans within proper authority limits.
   • Gain thorough knowledge of FDCPA laws.
   • Complete in-service trainings, CPR training and medication certification course.
   • Determine services and assistance need through individual counseling for credit cards and for clients that are at risk for foreclosure.
   • Perform comprehensive financial assessment of homeowners facing financial crisis and at risk of foreclosure.

   More credit counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your credit counselor job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A credit counselor salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a credit counselor in New Mexico may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level credit counselor usually earns less than a senior-level credit counselor. Additionally, a credit counselor with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average credit counselor salary

   $40,227yearly

   $19.34 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level credit counselor salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average credit counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$58,015	$28
   2	New Jersey	$56,023	$27
   3	Pennsylvania	$48,632	$23
   4	Massachusetts	$47,740	$23
   5	Maryland	$46,643	$22
   6	California	$42,693	$21
   7	Alaska	$36,348	$17
   8	North Dakota	$36,037	$17
   9	Minnesota	$35,790	$17
   10	Colorado	$35,546	$17
   11	South Dakota	$35,525	$17
   12	Missouri	$35,360	$17
   13	Texas	$30,233	$15
   14	New Mexico	$29,727	$14
   15	Florida	$29,097	$14
   16	Georgia	$28,735	$14

   Average credit counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BNY Mellon	$85,123	$40.92	4
   2	CTBC Bank	$44,055	$21.18
   3	Shinhan Bank America	$42,313	$20.34
   4	Hanmi Financial	$40,537	$19.49	2
   5	Royal Business Bank	$39,189	$18.84
   6	American First National Bank	$39,185	$18.84
   7	University of Alaska	$39,104	$18.80	3
   8	NEW MILLENNIUM ASSOC. INC.	$38,673	$18.59
   9	Roseville Area Schools	$37,248	$17.91
   10	New Omni Bank	$35,415	$17.03
   11	RemX	$35,275	$16.96

4. Writing a credit counselor job description

   A credit counselor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a credit counselor job description:

   Credit counselor job description example

   Insight Credit Union is looking for a skilled c ollector that will work to preserve Credit Union assets.
   
   The Credit Counselor will work to control delinquent loans accounts, collect on delinquent loan payments and/or recover collateral.
   
   This position is located in our Collections Department at:
   
   270 Winding Hollow Blvd.
   
   Winter Springs, FL 32708
   
   Compensation & Benefits:
   
   We offer a competitive starting rate at $18.00 per hour . Job offers are subject to our Compensation Policy. All of current open positions are Full Time which includes a comprehensive benefits package offering:
   
   

   • Medical, Dental, Vision
   • Free and Voluntary Life and Disability Insurance
   • Pet Insurance
   • 401K with match up and 100% vested
   • Paid Time Off
   • Birthdays Off
   • Tuition Reimbursement

   
   
   Schedule:
   
   Shift includes 40 hours per week between Monday - Friday (8am - 5pm). Schedule will be based on the needs of the department.
   
   Functions & Responsibilities:
   

   • Contacts delinquent accounts by phone and mail; takes appropriate action to bring current.
   • Analyzes financial situation of delinquent borrowers; makes recommendations to repossess collateral when other arrangements to bring the loan current are unsuccessful.
   • Maintains accurate files and reports on all collections activity.
   • Informs management of loan underwriting contributing to delinquent/charged-off loans.
   • Performs other job related duties as assigned.

   
   
   Experience: One year to three years of similar or related experience.
   
   Education: A high school education or GED.
   
   Interpersonal Skills: Work involves much personal contact with others inside and/or outside the organization for the purpose of first-level conflict resolution, building relationships, and soliciting cooperation. Discussions involve a higher degree of confidentiality and discretion, requiring diplomacy and tact in communication.
   
   Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. This is a largely sedentary role, however some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bending as necessary.
   
   Work Environment: This job operates in a clerical, office setting. This role routinely uses standard office equipment.
   
   Insight Credit Union is an EO Employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right credit counselor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your credit counselor job on Zippia to find and attract quality credit counselor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with credit counselor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new credit counselor

   Once you've found the credit counselor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new credit counselor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a credit counselor?