How to hire a debt collector

How to hire a debt collector, step by step

Here's a step-by-step debt collector hiring guide:

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

What does a debt collector do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the debt collector you need to hire. Certain debt collector roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A debt collector's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, debt collectors 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 presents debt collector salaries for various positions.

   Type of Debt Collector	Description	Hourly rate
   Debt Collector	Bill and account collectors, sometimes called collectors, try to recover payment on overdue bills. They negotiate repayment plans with debtors and help them find solutions to make paying their overdue bills easier.	$12-20
   Account Representative	Account representatives are employees who manage client accounts and act as the main contact of the clients they are handling. They maintain existing accounts by updating client details regularly... Show more	$12-24
   Collections/Accounts Receivable	An officer for collections/accounts receivable is in charge of a company's financial activities, ensuring that they receive payment from clients. They primarily focus on overseeing all billing and invoices, processing and verifying all receipts and rendered services, maintaining an accurate record of all transactions, producing reports and presentations, reviewing account and payment histories, and ensuring the accuracy of all processes involving the matter... Show more	$14-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Outbound Calls
   • Payment Arrangements
   • Delinquent Accounts
   • Credit Card Payments
   • FDCPA
   • Debt Collection
   • Collection Efforts
   • Past Due Accounts
   • Inbound Calls
   • Overdue Accounts
   • HIPAA
   • Customer Accounts
   • Patient Accounts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prevent impeding loss and increasing profitability through negotiation and enforcement of schedule collection campaigns, consistently achieving high success standards.
   • Work with FHA, obama programs at the time.
   • Educate customers on ways to get medical assistance such as Medicaid, Medicare etc.
   • Prevent foreclosure by putting people on repayment plans, submitting requests for modifications, or deed in lieu.
   • File Medicaid, Medicare and commercial claims consisting of PPO discounts, nurse practitioner discounts, humanitarian discounts, etc.
   • Maintain security and confidentiality of company and client information, following FDCPA regulations.

   More debt collector duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your debt collector job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A debt collector can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, debt collectors' average salary in south dakota is 40% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level debt collectors 40% less than senior-level debt collectors.
   • Certifications. A debt collector with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a debt collector's salary.

   Average debt collector salary

   $16.28hourly

   $33,865 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level debt collector salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average debt collector salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$43,385	$21
   2	Washington	$42,411	$20
   3	Alaska	$40,832	$20
   4	Colorado	$37,781	$18
   5	New York	$36,095	$17
   6	Montana	$36,067	$17
   7	Georgia	$35,009	$17
   8	Missouri	$34,505	$17
   9	Nevada	$34,366	$17
   10	Texas	$33,726	$16
   11	Tennessee	$31,756	$15
   12	Florida	$31,562	$15
   13	Arizona	$31,459	$15
   14	Ohio	$31,407	$15
   15	Iowa	$31,104	$15
   16	Michigan	$30,763	$15
   17	Kentucky	$30,498	$15
   18	South Carolina	$30,027	$14
   19	Nebraska	$29,702	$14
   20	West Virginia	$27,272	$13

   Average debt collector salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz	$38,898	$18.70	1
   2	Waste Connections	$36,955	$17.77	4
   3	ABB	$36,896	$17.74	1
   4	MUFG EMEA	$36,601	$17.60
   5	Chubb	$36,366	$17.48	2
   6	Spruce Power	$35,678	$17.15
   7	First Investors Financial Services Group, Inc.	$35,537	$17.09	3
   8	Beyond Finance	$35,533	$17.08
   9	Huntington Hospital	$35,518	$17.08
   10	Cyprus Credit Union Inc.	$35,488	$17.06
   11	Mercantile Adjustment Bureau	$35,247	$16.95
   12	Performance Food Group	$35,144	$16.90	16
   13	Vinebrook Homes	$35,114	$16.88
   14	TD Bank	$35,068	$16.86	1
   15	RSI Enterprises	$34,887	$16.77
   16	Spectrum	$34,775	$16.72
   17	Long Island Plastic Surgical Group	$34,597	$16.63
   18	Southern Glazer's	$34,530	$16.60	24
   19	Randstad North America, Inc.	$34,269	$16.48	3
   20	Neighbors Credit Union	$34,257	$16.47

4. Writing a debt collector job description

   A debt collector 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a debt collector job description:

   Debt collector job description example

   This position requires you to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Subject to applicable law, all prospective hires will need to provide proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or qualify for medical or religious accommodations.
   
   LabCorp is seeking a Hospital Reference Test Clerk to join our team in Weirton, WV. This is a part time benefited position working in a client facility collecting monitored urine tests and preparing the specimens for testing. Previous Laboratory or specimen handling experience is preferred. Good customer service and data entry skills will be needed.
   
   The schedule for this position will be Monday 8:45am - 3:45pm, Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday 8:45am - noon and Thursday 8:45am-1pm
   Job Duties/Responsibilities:
   
   * Collect and prepare laboratory specimens for various analysis and testing
   * Research, troubleshoot and resolve customer and specimen problems
   * Send test requests to proper location and release test results
   * Assist clients with any specimen related requests or inquires
   * Process specimens to be sent out to additional facilities
   * Provide support to various areas of the laboratory
   * Perform sample sorting, racking and retrieving
   * Prepare record logs in a timely and efficient manner
   * Maintain a clean and safe work environment
   
   Requirements:
   
   * High School Diploma or equivalent
   * Experience in a laboratory environment is preferred
   * Comfortable with handling biological specimens
   * Ability to accurately identify specimens
   * Basic computer and data entry skills
   * Strong communication skills; written and verbal
   * Ability to work independently or within a team environment
   * Well organized and a high level of attention to detail
   * Ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time
   * Must pass a standardized color blindness test
   
   If you're looking for a career that offers opportunities for growth, continual development, professional challenge and the chance to make a real difference, apply today!
   
   Labcorp is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer:
   
   As an EOE/AA employer, the organization will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.
   
   For more information about how we collect and store your personal data, please see our Privacy Statement.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right debt collector for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with debt collectors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit debt collectors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your debt collector job on Zippia to find and recruit debt collector candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit debt collectors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 debt collector

   Once you've found the debt collector 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new debt collector. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 debt collector?