Career comparison
Billing Clerk vs. Debt Collector
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Billing clerks earn more at the median ($48,500 vs. $47,030), while billing clerks usually get to work faster (A few months on the job of training). Billing clerks prepare invoices, post payments and keep customer accounts accurate. Debt collectors contact people and businesses about overdue bills and arrange payment.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Billing Clerk | Debt Collector | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $48,500 ($23.32/hr) | $47,030 ($22.61/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $37,290 – $67,710 | $34,400 – $65,580 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -0.1% (little or no change) | -10.4% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 37,000 | 11,200 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | A few months on the job | Several weeks to months on the job |
| Key credential | Certified Billing and Coding Specialist | Professional Collector Certification |
| Work setting | Billing clerks work in offices and remotely.. | Collectors work in call centers and offices, and many work remotely.. |
What each job does
Billing Clerk
- Prepare invoices
- Calculate charges
- Post payments
- Fix billing errors
- Answer billing questions
Debt Collector
- Contact past-due customers
- Explain balances
- Arrange payment plans
- Process payments
- Update account records
How they’re similar
Both careers involve desk work and remote-friendly work. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose billing clerk if…
- I like numbers
- I’m accurate
- I’m organized
Choose debt collector if…
- I stay calm when people are upset
- I’m persistent
- I like negotiating
Still torn? Take the Billing Clerk fit quiz and the Debt Collector fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, billing clerk or debt collector?
Billing Clerks earn more at the median: $48,500 versus $47,030 for debt collectors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Billing Clerks typically train faster (A few months on the job) than debt collectors (Several weeks to months on the job).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects billing clerks to grow -0.1% from 2025–35, compared with -10.4% for debt collectors.