Hiring guide · Business & Office
How to Hire a Billing Clerk
Pay benchmarks, qualifications, sourcing, screening and interview questions for hiring billing clerks, plus a plan to get them productive fast.
Write a clear job description, offer competitive pay (the national median is $48,500), recruit through community college business programs and career centers, verify Certified Billing and Coding Specialist where applicable, run a structured interview with a practical skills check, and onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The hiring market for billing clerks
There are about 418,000 billing clerks employed in the U.S., with roughly 37,000 openings each year. Employment is projected to change -0.1% from 2025–35 (little or no change). Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or change careers, so a steady pipeline matters.
Pay benchmarks for offers
| Candidate level | Annual | Hourly* |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th–25th percentile) | $37,290–$42,840 | $17.93–$20.60 |
| Typical / mid-career (median) | $48,500 | $23.32 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $58,290 | $28.02 |
| Top of market (90th percentile) | $67,710 | $32.55 |
*Annual ÷ 2,080 hours except median. National BLS data; adjust for your state and metro area. Many states and cities now require pay ranges in job postings.
What to look for
Must-haves
- High school diploma or equivalent (typical entry level)
- Invoicing
- Accuracy
Nice-to-haves
- Certified Billing and Coding Specialist
- QuickBooks certification
- Bookkeeping certificate
- Experience with quickBooks
Where to find billing clerks
- Community college business programs and career centers
- Professional associations (such as SHRM, PMI and state CPA societies)
- LinkedIn and niche job boards
- Internal promotion from front-line roles
- Job postings that use common alternate titles: Billing Specialist, Posting Clerk, Accounts Receivable Clerk, Invoice Clerk
Screening checklist
- A skills assessment (Excel, writing or role software)
- Credential verification (CPA, PMP, SHRM-CP, paralegal certificate)
- Reference checks focused on reliability and accuracy
- A structured interview with a short work sample
Follow federal, state and local rules on background checks, drug testing and fair-chance hiring, and apply screening consistently to all candidates for the role.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers on a structured scorecard.
1. “Describe billing experience.”
What a strong answer includes: Share.
2. “How do you stay accurate?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
3. “What software do you know?”
What a strong answer includes: List.
4. “How do you handle disputes?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
5. “How do you manage month-end?”
What a strong answer includes: Explain.
Practical skills checks
A short demonstration beats a perfect resume. Ask candidates to talk you through, or perform under supervision, tasks such as:
- Post Customer Payments Accurately (see the steps)
- Fix an Invoice Error (see the steps)
- Read an Accounts Receivable Aging Report (see the steps)
Red flags
- Can’t describe basic safety practices for the role
- Vague or inconsistent work history with no explanation
- Unfamiliar with core terms such as Invoice, Accounts receivable, Payment posting
- Negative talk about every past employer or coworker
Onboard for retention
The first 90 days decide whether a new hire stays. Use our Billing Clerk 30-60-90 day onboarding plan and give every new hire the same foundation with Billing Clerk training. Show them the path forward: Billing Clerk → Billing Specialist → AR Lead → Billing Manager.
Hiring billing clerks: FAQ
How much should I pay a billing clerk?
The U.S. median wage for billing clerks is $48,500 per year ($23.32/hour), according to BLS May 2025 data. Entry-level offers often fall near the 25th percentile ($42,840), while experienced hires command closer to the 75th percentile ($58,290). Adjust for your local market.
What qualifications should a billing clerk have?
BLS lists “high school diploma or equivalent” as the typical entry-level education. Look for Certified Billing and Coding Specialist and QuickBooks certification where relevant, plus skills such as invoicing, payment posting, and account reconciliation.
How long does it take to train a new billing clerk?
Becoming qualified typically takes A few months on the job. After hire, plan for a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding period; BLS classifies on-the-job training for this occupation as “moderate-term on-the-job training.”