Collection Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Collection Specialist make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Collection Specialist in the United States is $43,926 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $21.

However, a Collection Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $52,463
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $39,532 to $48,395
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $35,531
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
Recruit with AI
Smart Recruiting
View as table View as graph 25% $39,532 10% $35,531 90% $52,463 75% $48,395 $43,926 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Collection Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $48,395 $4,033 $931 $23
Average $43,926 $3,660 $845 $21
25th Percentile $39,532 $3,294 $760 $19
Check out Collection Specialist Job Openings in the United States
Doorstep Trash Collection Specialist

Valet Living - Columbus, OH

Doorstep Trash Collection Specialist

Valet Living - Akron, OH

Doorstep Trash Collection Specialist

Valet Living - Cleveland, OH

Credit Collection Specialist

Crown Equipment - New Bremen, OH

Search More Collection Specialist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Collection Specialist Salaries

A Collection Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Collection Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Collection Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $39,701
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $44,231
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $48,948
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $68,108
  • Expert (over 8 years): $238,178
Levels Salary
Collectio... Level Collection Specialist$39,701
Collectio... Level Collection Specialist$44,231
Collectio... Level Collection Specialist$48,948
Collectio... Level Collection Specialist$68,108
VP of Col... Level Collection Specialist$238,178
$39,701 0 yr
$44,231 < 2 yrs
$48,948 2-4 yrs
$68,108 5-8 yrs
$238,178 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Collection Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $55,404
  • San Francisco: $54,797
  • Oakland: $53,642

What Skills Can Increase a Collection Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 18.42% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 3.57% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Bankruptcy (Mentioned in 1.28% Job Postings): Bankruptcy helps people who can no longer pay their debts get a fresh start by liquidating assets to pay their debts or by creating a repayment plan.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 18.42%
Microsoft Office 3.57%
Bankruptcy 1.28%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Collection Specialist's salary.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Financial Services: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Analysis
$48,758
11%
Leadership
$47,440
8%
Financial Services
$46,561
6%
Commitment
$45,683
4%
Accounting
$45,244
3%
Initiative
$45,244
3%
Get Latest Data

Collection Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Collection Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Construction and Business Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Collection Specialist positions in Media or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Collection Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Collection Specialist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Construction$54,907$26.025%
Business Services$52,711$25.020%
Energy & Utilities$51,833$25.018%
Biotechnology$50,515$24.015%
Aerospace & Defense$49,197$24.012%

How Education impacts a Collection Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Collection Specialists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Collection Specialist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $44,531 and $47,456).

Collection Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Collection Specialist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 5.9%
High School 33.3%
Associates 11.8%
Bachelors 47.1%
Masters 2.0%
Doctorate 0.0%
view as graph

Collection Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Collection Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Collection Specialist

Salaries for a Collection Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $42,776 in 2023 to around $43,028 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Collection Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Collection Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$42,776
2024
$43,286
2025
$43,028
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $42,776
2024 $43,286
2025 $43,028
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Collection Specialist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Collection Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Collection Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Collection Specialist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Collection Specialist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst