Data collector vs collections specialist

The differences between data collectors and collections specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a data collector and a collections specialist. Additionally, a data collector has an average salary of $35,626, which is higher than the $35,164 average annual salary of a collections specialist.

The top three skills for a data collector include audit type, grocery store and retail store. The most important skills for a collections specialist are customer service, patients, and customer accounts.

Data collector vs collections specialist overview

	Data Collector	Collections Specialist
Yearly salary	$35,626	$35,164
Hourly rate	$17.13	$16.91
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	80,812	40,277
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

What does a data collector do?

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.

What does a collections specialist do?

As their name entails, collections specialists collect payments for the outstanding accounts receivables. Collections specialists list the names of those who were unable to pay their overdue bills based on their delinquency severity. They locate the customers through loan documents, background checks, credit bureau information, and other databases or paperwork. These specialists are expected to be excellent in their negotiation and communication skills. They should also be trustworthy, reliable, and act professionally to be considered as good specialists.

Data collector vs collections specialist salary

Data collectors and collections specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Collector	Collections Specialist
Average salary	$35,626	$35,164
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	EDC	Kent Daniels & Associates
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between data collector and collections specialist education

There are a few differences between a data collector and a collections specialist in terms of educational background:

	Data Collector	Collections Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Data collector vs collections specialist demographics

Here are the differences between data collectors' and collections specialists' demographics:

	Data Collector	Collections Specialist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 40.6% Female, 59.4%	Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between data collector and collections specialist duties and responsibilities

Data collector example responsibilities.

Prevent impeding loss and increasing profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns, consistently achieving high success standards.
Collect from all insurances (HMO, PPO, and MEDICARE).
Attend trainings and abide by HIPAA regulations.
Collect from insurance companies (PPO and Medicare).
Execute database queries in SQL in response to client requests.
Collect pricing information in grocery, office, pet and mass retailers

Collections specialist example responsibilities.

Manage university A/R processes and enforce tuition payment policy.
Manage accounts for healthcare clients, review detailed patient information for payment resolution while abiding HIPPA privacy and security regulations.
Review denied Medicare and Maine Medicaid insurance claims for accuracy.
Analyze hospital insurance claims of individual patients for errors and contact major insurance carriers for claims dispute resolution.
Analyze accounts for patients ineligible for private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid and indicating inability to pay balance.
Possess effective persuasion and negotiation skills, excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to deliver quality customer service.

Data collector vs collections specialist skills

Common data collector skills

Audit Type, 31%
Grocery Store, 17%
Retail Store, 16%
UPC, 10%
PET, 8%
Inter-Rater Reliability, 2%

Common collections specialist skills

Customer Service, 23%
Patients, 8%
Customer Accounts, 6%
Payment Arrangements, 5%
Delinquent Accounts, 4%
Phone Calls, 4%

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Data Collector vs Collections Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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