Debt collector demographics and statistics in the US
Debt collector demographics research summary. Zippia estimates debt collector demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our debt collector estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about debt collectors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 69,187 debt collectors currently employed in the United States.
- 69.3% of all debt collectors are women, while 30.7% are men.
- The average debt collector age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of debt collectors is White (59.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.0%), Black or African American (12.2%) and Unknown (4.0%).
- Debt collectors are most in-demand in Dallas, TX.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $43,385, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women debt collectors earned 96% of what men earned.
- Washington is the best state for debt collectors to live.
- Debt collectors are 73% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Debt collector demographics by:
Debt collector gender statistics
69.3% of debt collectors are women and 30.7% of debt collectors are men.
- Female, 69.3%
- Male, 30.7%
Debt collector gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 69.3% |
| Male | 30.7% |
Debt collector gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,115
Female income
$33,809
Debt collector gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in debt collector positions over time. Currently, 69.3% of debt collectors are female.
Debt collector gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 34.25% | 65.75% |
| 2011 | 32.58% | 67.42% |
| 2012 | 32.20% | 67.80% |
| 2013 | 30.30% | 69.70% |
| 2014 | 30.14% | 69.86% |
| 2015 | 31.19% | 68.81% |
| 2016 | 31.34% | 68.66% |
| 2017 | 30.02% | 69.98% |
| 2018 | 32.21% | 67.79% |
| 2019 | 26.87% | 73.13% |
| 2020 | 25.65% | 74.35% |
| 2021 | 30.74% | 69.26% |
Debt collector related jobs gender ratio
We compared debt collectors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, time recorder and recovery agent have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance Billing Clerk | 5% | 95% |
| Receptionist/Accounts Receivable | 5% | 95% |
| Directory Clerk | 7% | 93% |
| Debt Collector | 31% | 69% |
| Recovery Agent | 69% | 31% |
| Time Recorder | 71% | 29% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Debt collector demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among debt collectors is White, which makes up 59.9% of all debt collectors. Comparatively, 20.0% of debt collectors are Hispanic or Latino and 12.2% of debt collectors are Black or African American.
- White, 59.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 20.0%
- Black or African American, 12.2%
- Unknown, 4.0%
- Asian, 3.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Debt collector race
| Debt collector race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.0% |
| Black or African American | 12.2% |
| Unknown | 4.0% |
| Asian | 3.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Debt collector race and ethnicity over time
See how debt collector racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Debt collector race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.44% | 14.52% | 3.38% | 17.94% |
| 2011 | 59.65% | 15.58% | 3.24% | 18.34% |
| 2012 | 61.89% | 15.89% | 3.23% | 15.84% |
| 2013 | 60.17% | 16.44% | 3.85% | 16.79% |
| 2014 | 61.13% | 14.69% | 3.31% | 18.19% |
| 2015 | 59.77% | 14.72% | 3.11% | 18.99% |
| 2016 | 62.75% | 13.23% | 2.20% | 18.72% |
| 2017 | 59.91% | 16.58% | 3.28% | 17.07% |
| 2018 | 62.20% | 11.69% | 3.66% | 19.53% |
| 2019 | 58.81% | 13.53% | 3.11% | 21.75% |
| 2020 | 57.54% | 14.13% | 3.26% | 19.54% |
| 2021 | 59.88% | 12.22% | 3.45% | 20.02% |
Debt collector wage gap by race
According to our data, asian debt collectors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown debt collectors have the lowest average salary at $34,262.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,262 |
| White | $35,274 |
| Black or African American | $35,296 |
| Asian | $35,389 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,368 |
Average debt collector age
See how the average age of debt collectors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Debt collector age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | 48.5 |
| White | 43 | 47 |
| Black or African American | 45.5 | 49 |
| Asian | 53 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 40 |
Debt collector age breakdown
The average age of debt collectors is 40+ years years old, representing 66% of the debt collector population.
Debt collector age breakdown
| Debt Collector Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 66% |
| 30-40 years | 23% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Debt collector educational attainment
The most common degree for debt collectors is high school diploma, with 34% of debt collectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 26% and bachelor's degree degree at 22%.
- High School Diploma, 34%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Debt collectors by degree level
| Debt collector degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 34% |
| Bachelor's | 26% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Debt collector jobs you might like
Debt collector wage gap by degree level
According to the data, debt collectors with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $36,467 annually. With a Associate degree, debt collectors earn a median annual income of $34,288 compared to $34,273 for debt collectors with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,273 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,467 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,288 |
Debt collector employment statistics
Most debt collectors work for a private in the finance industry.
Company size where debt collectors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where debt collectors work.
Debt collector jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 19% |
| > 10,000 employees | 20% |
Debt collector jobs by company type
Employees with the debt collector job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most debt collectors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Debt collector jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 0% |
| Public | 23% |
| Private | 73% |
| Government | 3% |
Debt collector jobs by industry
The most common industries for debt collectors are finance, professional and technology.
Debt collector industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Finance | 31% |
| Professional | 17% |
| Fortune 500 | 11% |
| Technology | 8% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Debt collector turnover and employment statistics
Debt collector unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for debt collectors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Debt collector unemployment rate by year
| Year | Debt collector unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.02% |
| 2011 | 12.36% |
| 2012 | 10.85% |
| 2013 | 10.37% |
| 2014 | 8.36% |
| 2015 | 7.21% |
| 2016 | 5.43% |
| 2017 | 4.15% |
| 2018 | 4.83% |
| 2019 | 4.01% |
| 2020 | 4.42% |
| 2021 | 5.16% |
Average debt collector tenure
The average debt collector stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 18,528 debt collectors resumes in Zippia's database.
Debt collector tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 35% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Debt collector LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of debt collectors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing Department Clerk | 6.59% | 102,459 |
| Senior Accounting Specialist | 6.92% | 34,107 |
| Bank Teller | 7.10% | 23,446 |
| Medicare Billing Specialist | 7.32% | 54,593 |
| Debt Collector | 7.90% | - |
| Payroll Supervisor | 9.54% | 6,668 |
| Casino Gaming Worker | 10.47% | 20,178 |
Similar debt collector jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing Department Clerk | 6.59% | 102,459 |
| Senior Accounting Specialist | 6.92% | 34,107 |
| Bank Teller | 7.10% | 23,446 |
| Medicare Billing Specialist | 7.32% | 54,593 |
| Payroll Supervisor | 9.54% | 6,668 |
| Casino Gaming Worker | 10.47% | 20,178 |
Foreign languages spoken by debt collectors
The most common foreign language among debt collectors is Spanish at 78.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 5.0% and German is the third-most popular at 2.7%.
- Spanish, 78.3%
- French, 5.0%
- German, 2.7%
- Portuguese, 1.9%
- Chinese, 1.9%
- Other, 10.2%
Debt collector languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 78.3% |
| French | 5.0% |
| German | 2.7% |
| Portuguese | 1.9% |
| Chinese | 1.9% |
| Other | 10.2% |
