Will AI replace bill and account collectors?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 38m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 5h 22m (67%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 10.4% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 3 of 15 tasks, about 2h 38m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts. (1h 9m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment. (1h 9m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Advise customers of necessary actions and strategies for debt repayment. (19m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

5h 22m of a typical shift, or 67%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Locate and monitor overdue accounts, using computers and a variety of automated systems. (44m a shift)
• Arrange for debt repayment or establish repayment schedules, based on customers' financial situations. (44m a shift)
• Persuade customers to pay amounts due on credit accounts, damage claims, or nonpayable checks, or to return merchandise. (44m a shift)
• Confer with customers by telephone or in person to determine reasons for overdue payments and to review the terms of sales, service, or credit contracts. (44m a shift)
• Answer customer questions regarding problems with their accounts. (32m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 94% are in constant contact with other people
• 72% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 52% handle conflict at least once a week

We track 1 sourced company move that affects this job. Most recent:

• May 7, 2026: Encore pilots AI tools but says voice AI cannot yet handle collection calls (Pilot)

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 44m for a person alone and about 6m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visits to solicit payment (about 44m alone, 6m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Accounting sector are at 105% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 5.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 11,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $47,030 a year ($22.61 an hour), 8% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $34,400 and $65,580 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 10.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 143,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 11,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 159,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.10% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 202nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 143,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 48% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Persuasion, Negotiation, Speaking, Active Listening
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 22m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: SAP software, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (1h 58m touched, $51k median pay)
• Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks (1h 20m touched, $49k median pay)
• Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks (1h 22m touched, $50k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 3 observed in real AI use, 12 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.