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Collections Specialist Salary in 2026

Contact debtors to arrange payment of overdue accounts and negotiate settlements.

Median Salary

$42,000

$3,500/mo

Entry Level

$32,000

starting pay

Senior Level

$55,000

experienced

Job Growth

+1%

10-yr outlook

Collections Specialist Overview

Contact debtors to arrange payment of overdue accounts and negotiate settlements.

Education

High School/Associate's

Experience

0-1 years

Industry

Finance

Total Jobs (US)

320K

5-Year Growth

+6%

Category

Finance

Hourly Rate

$20.19/hr

Monthly Pay

$3,500

Collections Specialist Salary Calculator

Adjust your state and experience level to see the estimated Collections Specialist salary in your area.

Mid Career (5-9 yrs)

Estimated Collections Specialist Salary

$47,000

$3,917/month · $1,808/biweekly · $22.60/hr

Collections Specialist Salary Range

Salary distribution from entry-level to top earners in the Collections Specialist field.

25th Percentile$36,000
$36K
Median (50th)$42,000
$42K
75th Percentile$48,500
$49K
90th Percentile$60,000
$60K
Top Earners$65,000
$65K

Entry-level Collections Specialists earn around $32,000, while the top 10% earn $60,000 or more.

Top Paying States for Collections Specialists

StateEst. Median Salaryvs National
California$50,000+$8,000
New York$48,000+$6,000
Illinois$44,000+$2,000
Texas$41,000$-1,000
Florida$41,000$-1,000

Top Paying Cities for Collections Specialists

CityEst. Median Salaryvs National
New York$50,000+$8,000
Los Angeles$47,000+$5,000
Chicago$44,000+$2,000
Miami$43,000+$1,000
Houston$42,000$0

Required Skills & Certifications

Key Skills

NegotiationSkip TracingFDCPA ComplianceCommunicationCRM Software

Certifications

None required

Collections Specialist Career Progression

Typical salary growth path for a Collections Specialist from entry level to expert.

Entry Level

$32,000

0-2 years

Mid Career

$44,000

3-7 years

Senior

$55,000

8-14 years

Lead / Expert

$65,000

15+ years

EntryExpert

Collections Specialist Salary FAQ

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