Collections was one of the first areas to adopt automated calling, text reminders and online payment portals. AI now drafts messages, scores which accounts are likely to pay and handles simple payment conversations. That puts real pressure on the number of collectors needed.
The short answer: AI and automation are reducing collections jobs, but not removing the role. The ILO's 2025 index puts debt collectors in gradient 2, with a score of 0.43. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10 percent decline for bill and account collectors from 2025 to 2035, but still about 11,200 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed bill collectors are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Collectors and Related Workers | Gradient 2 | 0.43 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Bill and account collectors | Decline 10% | About 11,200 |
The BLS says enhanced software and automated calling systems let collectors handle more accounts, so more collections work can be done with fewer employees. Openings come from replacing people who leave.
What AI is taking on
- Automated calls, texts and email reminders.
- Self-service payment portals and payment plans.
- Scoring accounts by how likely they are to pay.
- Skip tracing searches across online records.
What stays with the collector
- Negotiation: working out a payment plan with someone who wants to pay but cannot pay it all.
- Hard cases: disputes, hardship and accounts where the facts are unclear.
- Rules: collections is regulated, and a person answers for how each contact is handled.
- Checking AI help: account summaries and drafted messages can be confidently wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Fewer collectors will handle more accounts, with software doing the reminders and routine payments. The work that remains is more about negotiation, disputes and compliance. This page is about jobs and is not legal or financial advice.
See also will AI replace customer service?, will AI replace bank tellers? and will AI replace claims adjusters?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for bill and account collectors at $47,030 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: high school diploma or equivalent. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace bill collectors?
Not fully, but it is reducing jobs. The ILO puts debt collectors in gradient 2, and the BLS projects a 10 percent decline from 2025 to 2035.
Why are collections jobs declining?
The BLS says enhanced software and automated calling systems let each collector handle more accounts.
Are there still openings for collectors?
Yes. The BLS projects about 11,200 openings a year, all from replacing workers who leave.
What collections work stays human?
Negotiating payment plans, handling disputes and hardship cases, following the rules and checking AI output.