# Bill and Account Collectors

US SOC code 43-3011. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/43-3011

Also called: Debt collector, Collection specialist, Accounts receivable collector, Collection agent, Collector.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **158,830** US bill and account collectors, with median pay of **$47,030** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **445,180**, in May 2004. The earliest figure here is [a Census count](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/occ1940.shtml) of **38,000** from 1940, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for bill and account collectors: Predictive dialer + collection management software, 1988 to 2005. Predictive dialers increased collector productivity (calls per hour), which meant the industry could handle higher account volumes without proportionally more headcounts.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 10.4% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-3011&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **42.9%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.95** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.95. BLS counted **368,850** of these jobs in May 2013 and **158,830** in May 2025 (-57%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Bill and Account Collectors employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1870
- Latest US employment: 158,830 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $47,030 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [11]
- Outlook: -10.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [21]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 14202)
  - Employment, 2020: 12,400. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 14202 Collection clerks, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$52,800. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [14]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 14202 Collection clerks, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1940 | 38,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1940 [1] |
| 1960 | 75,000 (estimate) | $4,200 (estimate) | Est., Author estimate anchored to the 1960… (employment) [2]; Est., University of Missouri Libraries (pay) [9] |
| 1980 | 150,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Author estimate anchored to the 1980… [3] |
| 2000 | 387,870 | $25,310 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 417,100 | $27,000 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 445,180 | $27,450 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 431,280 | $28,160 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 423,090 | $29,050 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 409,570 | $29,990 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 408,760 | $30,630 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 403,100 | $30,940 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 399,950 | $31,310 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 390,800 | $31,920 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 385,890 | $32,480 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 368,850 | $32,920 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 346,960 | $33,700 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 318,970 | $34,440 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 298,960 | $35,350 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 271,700 | $35,330 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 251,330 | $36,020 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 235,870 | $37,000 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 222,030 | $38,100 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 212,900 | $37,700 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 202,840 | $39,470 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 190,910 | $44,250 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 165,020 | $46,040 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 158,830 | $47,030 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (80)

### Employment series

1. [IPUMS USA — Census 1940 Occupational Classification (collectors, bill and account)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/occ1940.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
2. [Author estimate anchored to the 1960 Census of Population occupation tables (occupation 313, "Collectors, bill and account")](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1962/dec/population-pc-s1-40.html), Future History estimate (from U.S. Census Bureau 1960 decennial occupation data)
3. [Author estimate anchored to the 1980 Census detailed-occupation tables ("Bill and account collectors")](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1984/demo/pc80-s1-15.html), Future History estimate (from U.S. Census Bureau 1980 decennial occupation data)
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. [University of Missouri Libraries — "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1960-1969" (BLS area wage surveys, clerical workers in finance)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1960-1969), University of Missouri Libraries / BLS historical sources
10. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

15. [ACA International — founding history (June 1939: American Collectors Association formed with 273 members)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACA_International), Wikipedia / ACA International
16. [Wikipedia — Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (enacted September 20, 1977)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection_Practices_Act), Wikipedia
17. [Wikipedia — Debt buyer (United States), S&L crisis origins of the debt-buying industry and collections technology growth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_buyer_%28United_States%29), Wikipedia
18. [Wikipedia — Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA restrictions on automated calls to cell phones)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Consumer_Protection_Act_of_1991), Wikipedia
19. [Prodigal ProAgent — launched February 2025, automates routine inbound and escalates to humans](https://www.insidearm.com/news/00092837-prodigal-launches-proagent-to-automate-en/), insideARM
20. [Sedric — AI in Collections: Transforming Debt Recovery in 2025](https://www.sedric.ai/arm-resources/ai-in-collections-transforming-debt-recovery-in-2025), Sedric

### Forecasts and exposure studies

21. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 43-3011 Bill and account collectors (2025: 160.2 thousand; 2035: 143.4 thousand; -10.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-3011&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 43-3011 Bill and Account Collectors: probability 0.95, rank 613 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
23. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 43-3011.00, human-rated β 0.429)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

24. [Wikipedia — ACA International (founding, June 1939, 273 charter members)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACA_International), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (signed September 20, 1977)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection_Practices_Act), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia — Debt buyer (United States) (S&L crisis and RTC auctions as founding moment of modern debt buying)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_buyer_%28United_States%29), Wikipedia
27. [Wikipedia — Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Consumer_Protection_Act_of_1991), Wikipedia
28. [insideARM — "Prodigal Launches ProAgent to Automate En..." (February 2025)](https://www.insidearm.com/news/00092837-prodigal-launches-proagent-to-automate-en/), insideARM

### Predecessors & successors

29. [Wikipedia — ACA International (formation of American Collectors Association 1939 from clerical workers in credit and finance)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACA_International), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Bill and Account Collectors (43-3011.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-3011.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Bill and Account Collectors](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/bill-and-account-collectors.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Prodigal proPay — AI-native self-serve payment portal](https://www.prodigaltech.com/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [HighRadius — autonomous receivables management with AI-driven cash application](https://www.highradius.com/resources/Blog/how-agentic-ai-is-making-debt-collection-smarter-and-more-efficient/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [InDebted Receive — AI-native omnichannel collections with personalized messaging](https://www.indebted.co/solution/receive/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [ScienceSoft — AI for Debt Collection: LLM-generated personalized payment reminders](https://www.scnsoft.com/lending/artificial-intelligence/debt-collection), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.