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Debt collector salary
Average debt collector salary
$16.28
Average Debt Collector Salary
The average salary for debt collectors in the U.S. is $33,865 annually, translating to roughly $16.28 per hour. Salary can fluctuate based on factors such as geographic location, experience, and employer specifics. For example, debt collectors with more years of experience typically see higher earnings, reflecting their skill set and knowledge in the field.
Salary by State
In states like California and New York, debt collectors often earn significantly more, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for these roles. Higher salaries are also found in urban areas where financial services are concentrated. In contrast, states with lower living costs may offer reduced salaries.
Highest Paying Debt Collector Positions
Positions that require specialized skills, such as collections for high-value accounts or compliance roles, tend to offer better compensation. Additionally, working for larger financial institutions can provide benefits that enhance total earnings, such as bonuses and incentives. Understanding these trends can guide your career path in debt collection.
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Where can a Debt Collector earn more?
Debt collector salaries by experience level
Debt collector salary estimates from across the web
Average debt collector salary by state
The average debt collector salary in California, Washington, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average debt collector salary states are Arkansas, Delaware, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for debt collectors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $42,112 | $20.25 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $40,272 | $19.36 |
| 3 | Maryland | $39,849 | $19.16 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $44,636 | $21.46 |
| 5 | Virginia | $41,483 | $19.94 |
| 6 | California | $42,856 | $20.60 |
| 7 | Alaska | $40,730 | $19.58 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $39,471 | $18.98 |
| 9 | Colorado | $37,743 | $18.15 |
| 10 | Idaho | $38,995 | $18.75 |
| 11 | Georgia | $34,988 | $16.82 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $36,577 | $17.59 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $34,623 | $16.65 |
| 14 | Missouri | $34,188 | $16.44 |
| 15 | New York | $36,659 | $17.62 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $32,583 | $15.66 |
| 17 | Texas | $33,330 | $16.02 |
| 18 | Nevada | $34,432 | $16.55 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $34,845 | $16.75 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $33,996 | $16.34 |
| 21 | Montana | $35,704 | $17.17 |
| 22 | Oregon | $34,031 | $16.36 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $35,582 | $17.11 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $31,515 | $15.15 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $35,672 | $17.15 |
| 26 | Alabama | $33,322 | $16.02 |
| 27 | Vermont | $33,391 | $16.05 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $34,145 | $16.42 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $32,599 | $15.67 |
| 30 | Utah | $31,219 | $15.01 |
| 31 | Arizona | $31,468 | $15.13 |
| 32 | Florida | $31,444 | $15.12 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $30,271 | $14.55 |
| 34 | Iowa | $31,138 | $14.97 |
| 35 | Ohio | $30,777 | $14.80 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $31,322 | $15.06 |
| 37 | Illinois | $32,796 | $15.77 |
| 38 | Michigan | $31,123 | $14.96 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $29,465 | $14.17 |
| 40 | Maine | $31,734 | $15.26 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $36,130 | $17.37 |
| 42 | Indiana | $30,400 | $14.62 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $31,716 | $15.25 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $29,784 | $14.32 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $30,653 | $14.74 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $29,991 | $14.42 |
| 47 | Kansas | $29,131 | $14.01 |
| 48 | Delaware | $29,341 | $14.11 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $28,827 | $13.86 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $27,618 | $13.28 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $26,704 | $12.84 |
Highest paying cities for debt collectors
The highest-paying cities for debt collectors are San Francisco, CA, Vancouver, WA, and Anchorage, AK.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $43,385 | $20.86 |
| 2 | Vancouver, WA | $42,411 | $20.39 |
| 3 | Anchorage, AK | $40,832 | $19.63 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $37,781 | $18.16 |
| 5 | Buffalo, NY | $36,095 | $17.35 |
| 6 | Missoula, MT | $36,067 | $17.34 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $35,009 | $16.83 |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $34,505 | $16.59 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $34,366 | $16.52 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $33,726 | $16.21 |
| 11 | Memphis, TN | $31,756 | $15.27 |
| 12 | Lakeland, FL | $31,562 | $15.17 |
| 13 | Glendale, AZ | $31,459 | $15.12 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $31,407 | $15.10 |
| 15 | West Des Moines, IA | $31,104 | $14.95 |
| 16 | Kalamazoo, MI | $30,763 | $14.79 |
| 17 | Covington, KY | $30,498 | $14.66 |
| 18 | Greenville, SC | $30,027 | $14.44 |
| 19 | Omaha, NE | $29,702 | $14.28 |
| 20 | Charleston, WV | $27,272 | $13.11 |
Debt collector salary details
A debt collector's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a debt collector's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| Average | $33,865 | $2,822 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying debt collector jobs
The highest paying types of debt collectors are senior collector, collection team lead, and recovery specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account Representative | $36,977 | $3,081 | $17.78 | 183,446 |
| Collections/Accounts Receivable | $38,949 | $3,246 | $18.73 | 30,523 |
| Collections, Customer Service | $32,870 | $2,739 | $15.80 | 161,544 |
| Collections Representative | $34,015 | $2,835 | $16.35 | 85,275 |
| Collection Agent | $32,689 | $2,724 | $15.72 | 47,837 |
| Medical Collector | $36,235 | $3,020 | $17.42 | 73,797 |
Top companies hiring debt collectors now:
Which companies pay debt collectors the most?
Debt collector salaries at Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and Waste Connections are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average debt collector salary at companies like ABB and MUFG EMEA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayor Ethan Berkowitz | $38,898 | $18.70 |
| 2 | Waste Connections | $36,955 | $17.77 |
| 3 | ABB | $36,896 | $17.74 |
| 4 | MUFG EMEA | $36,601 | $17.60 |
| 5 | Chubb | $36,366 | $17.48 |
| 6 | Spruce Power | $35,678 | $17.15 |
| 7 | First Investors Financial Services Group, Inc. | $35,537 | $17.09 |
| 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 |
| 13 | Vinebrook Homes | $35,114 | $16.88 |
| 14 | TD Bank | $35,068 | $16.86 |
| 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 |
| 19 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $34,269 | $16.48 |
| 20 | Neighbors Credit Union | $34,257 | $16.47 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Debt Collector salary by industry
The average debt collector salary varies across industries:
- The average debt collector salary in the construction industry is $34,803, the highest of any industry.
- The average debt collector salary in the finance industry is $34,423.
- Debt collectors in the professional industry earn an average salary of $31,826, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for debt collectors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $34,803 | $16.73 |
| 2 | Finance | $34,423 | $16.55 |
| 3 | Retail | $33,953 | $16.32 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $33,847 | $16.27 |
| 5 | Technology | $33,017 | $15.87 |
| 6 | Health Care | $32,501 | $15.63 |
| 7 | Professional | $31,826 | $15.30 |
High paying debt collector jobs
Debt collector salary trends
The average debt collector salary has risen by $5,493 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average debt collector earned $28,372 annually, but today, they earn $33,865 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for debt collectors over the last decade.
Compare debt collector salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average debt collector salary over time
Compare debt collector salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Debt collector salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $33,900 | $16.28 | +2.9% |
| 2025 | $32,900 | $15.81 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $32,000 | $15.39 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $31,400 | $15.10 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | $31,400 | $15.11 | +2.6% |
Recently added debt collector salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skechers USA Inc. | Accounts Receivable Junior Collector | Manhattan Beach, CA | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
| Credit Control LLC | Debt Collector Open House Event | Bridgeton, MO | 06/25/2025 | $43,200 |
| Cardinal Health 110 | Coding Denials AR Collector | Fresno, CA | 06/22/2025 | $43,827 |
| Unitedhealth Group Inc. | Accounts Receivable Collector | Torrance, CA | 06/21/2025 | $33,392 |
| Cardinal Health | Coding Denials AR Collector | Nashville, TN | 06/20/2025 | $43,827 |
| Personnel Resources | Collections Clerk | Dothan, AL | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
| San Juan School District | Credit Recovery Paraprofessional | Cove, UT | 06/18/2025 | $36,856 |
| Wilson Elser | Accounts Receivable Collector | Miami, FL | 06/17/2025 | $50,000 |
| Wilson Elser | Accounts Receivable Collector | Los Angeles, CA | 06/17/2025 | $50,000 |
| Wilson Elser | Accounts Receivable Collector | Chicago, IL | 06/17/2025 | $50,000 |
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