Bill and Account Collectors Salary
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, bill and account collectors earn $51,520 at the median, or about $24.77 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $46,045 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 89.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About bill and account collectors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Bill and account collectors pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 85.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bill and account collectors in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $57K | $51K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $72K | $63K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $52K | $49K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $77K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level bill and account collectors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Bill and Account Collectors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bill and Account Collectors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $62K | +32% | 240 |
| Alaska | $61K | +29% | 310 |
| Massachusetts | $60K | +27% | 2,510 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +23% | 900 |
| California | $58K | +23% | 13,880 |
| Vermont | $58K | +23% | 80 |
| Hawaii | $54K | +14% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $53K | +12% | 3,310 |
| Rhode Island | $52K | +11% | 370 |
| Oregon | $51K | +8% | 830 |
| Colorado | $50K | +7% | 1,670 |
| Maryland | $50K | +6% | 2,090 |
| Minnesota | $50K | +5% | 2,860 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | +4% | 2,570 |
| Maine | $49K | +4% | 410 |
| Nevada | $49K | +4% | 2,350 |
| Washington | $48K | +3% | 2,260 |
| Kentucky | $48K | +3% | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $48K | +2% | 5,080 |
| Arizona | $48K | +2% | 6,300 |
| New York | $47K | +0% | 8,800 |
| Michigan | $47K | +0% | 2,990 |
| Delaware | $47K | -1% | 990 |
| North Dakota | $47K | -1% | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | -1% | 6,680 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -1% | 1,120 |
| New Mexico | $47K | -1% | 440 |
| Florida | $46K | -1% | 13,180 |
| Georgia | $46K | -2% | 5,280 |
| Ohio | $46K | -2% | 6,620 |
| Iowa | $46K | -2% | 830 |
| Kansas | $46K | -3% | 1,350 |
| Texas | $46K | -3% | 21,720 |
| Montana | $45K | -3% | 640 |
| Utah | $45K | -4% | 2,430 |
| Indiana | $45K | -4% | 2,690 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -5% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $44K | -5% | 1,120 |
| West Virginia | $44K | -7% | 670 |
| Virginia | $44K | -7% | 4,590 |
| Nebraska | $43K | -8% | 730 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -8% | 4,430 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -9% | 5,460 |
| Wyoming | $42K | -10% | 180 |
| Idaho | $42K | -11% | 510 |
| Missouri | $42K | -11% | 3,770 |
| Tennessee | $41K | -13% | 3,890 |
| Alabama | $40K | -14% | 2,090 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -17% | 1,690 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -17% | 850 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -20% | 1,150 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track bill and account collectors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a bill and account collector afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 85.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bill and account collectors in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bill and account collectors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,087/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 144% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bill and account collector a high-paying job in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for bill and account collectors?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do bill and account collectors make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $51,520 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,790, and experienced bill and account collectors can clear $77,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,504/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 85.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a bill and account collectors salary go in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bill and account collectors salary is worth about $46,045 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bill and account collectors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.