How to hire a debt counselor

How to hire a debt counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step debt 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 debt counselor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new debt counselor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The debt counselor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect debt counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of debt counselors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Debt Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Debt Counselor		$12-24
   Collection Agent	A collections agent is responsible for communicating with clients to collect payment for their overdue bills and outstanding balances. Collections agents monitor and update a customer's account information in the system, offer repayment plans, manage billing disputes, negotiate sales terms, and maintain records of account resolution... Show more	$10-23
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Outbound Calls
   • Inbound Calls
   • Customer Service
   • Delinquent Accounts
   • Payment Arrangements
   • Credit Reports
   • FDCPA
   • Financial Solutions
   • Performance Objectives
   • Debt Management
   • Federal Student Loans
   • Interest Rates
   • Past Due Accounts
   • Debt Settlement

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage patient focuse reports, collection modules, provider/facility A/R, collections, patient discharge letters.
   • Comply with all of the FDCPA guidelines.
   • Perform numerous acts of repossession and litigation on a daily basis.
   • Complete standard legal garnishment forms for review, and forward to litigation department.
   • Provide administrative support by the filing electronic claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers for emergency and non-emergency transports.
   • Utilize FDCRA and NFCC guidelines.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, debt counselors' average salary in florida is 41% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level debt counselors 47% less than senior-level debt counselors.
   • Certifications. A debt counselor 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 counselor's salary.

   Average debt counselor salary

   $37,932yearly

   $18.24 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level debt counselor salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a debt counselor job description

   A job description for a debt counselor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a debt counselor job description:

   Debt counselor job description example

   The Community Service Society (CSS) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that has been at the forefront of public policy innovations that support low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years. Through its Program Services Department, CSS launched a new initiative called the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP), which is focused on helping consumers navigate their student loan debt. EDCAP is expanding its services and catchment area and seeks a strong candidate to join its team to provide outreach, education, and case management services on a temporary and part-time basis.
   Job Description:
   
   EDCAP provides remote and in-person counseling services to individuals who need help navigating the student lending system and understanding their repayment options. Services include helping borrowers enroll in appropriate repayment plan, getting out of default, applying for student loan discharge or forgiveness programs, and much more. The Financial Counselor will be responsible for providing one-on-one consumer assistance to borrowers and conducting outreach and education efforts for the program. Responsibilities include:
   •Providing information and advice to student loan borrowers based on their specific circumstances
   •Helping student loan borrowers apply for relief through cancellation, forgiveness, or discharge programs
   •Conducting outreach and education presentations on higher education debt related topics
   •Preparing training materials and fact sheets, as needed
   •Maintaining thorough case records of services provided, advice and/or referrals
   •Ability to recognize and contribute to reporting of program trends and statistics
   •Other responsibilities identified by Supervisor
   
   Job Requirements:
   •BA or relevant advanced degree
   •Experience conducting outreach, trainings, and presentations
   •Experience providing customer service assistance
   •Proficient with MS Office required
   •Ability to provide information in a fair and impartial manner which is culturally and linguistically appropriate.
   •Strong written and verbal communication skills required
   •Knowledge of personal finance
   •Knowledge of or interest in student loans preferred

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find debt counselors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any debt counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level debt counselors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your debt counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit debt counselor 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

   During your first interview to recruit debt counselors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 debt counselor

   Once you've found the debt 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 debt 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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