56144/Collection Agencies
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
92K
employees, 2023
92K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,877 US Collection Agencies business locations employed 91,811 people and paid $4.7 billion in annual payroll, $50,946 per employee on average. Employment was down 13.5% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,877
-7.0% vs 2022
Employees
91,811
-13.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$4.7B
-12.7% vs 2022
Average pay
$50,946
+1.0% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Collection Agencies in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 240 | 13,155 | $40,193 | 0.11% |
| Florida | 226 | 8,863 | $47,169 | 0.09% |
| New York | 288 | 7,446 | $51,018 | 0.08% |
| California | 280 | 5,081 | $60,814 | 0.03% |
| Tennessee | 59 | 5,056 | $51,272 | 0.17% |
| Illinois | 110 | 3,668 | $55,280 | 0.06% |
| Pennsylvania | 120 | 3,398 | $48,299 | 0.06% |
| Georgia | 90 | 3,119 | $42,366 | 0.07% |
| Minnesota | 57 | 3,103 | $57,405 | 0.11% |
| Virginia | 53 | 3,027 | $68,121 | 0.08% |
| Ohio | 82 | 2,964 | $52,128 | 0.06% |
| Arizona | 72 | 2,535 | $48,073 | 0.09% |
| Kentucky | 38 | 2,053 | $51,092 | 0.12% |
| Massachusetts | 49 | 1,917 | $72,091 | 0.05% |
| Iowa | 14 | 1,768 | $81,350 | 0.12% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Collection Agencies employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 201 | 3,861 | $58,146 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 34 | 3,756 | $41,284 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 25 | 3,032* | $43,400 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 91 | 2,844 | $56,644 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 115 | 2,816 | $44,510 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 47 | 2,799 | $56,284 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 57 | 2,681 | $36,228 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 64 | 2,556 | $53,613 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 21 | 2,421 | $65,004 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 134 | 2,397 | $59,691 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 61 | 2,357 | $47,179 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 52 | 2,247 | $47,907 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 84 | 2,190 | $61,032 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 19 | 2,079 | $72,059 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 30 | 1,993 | $48,483 |
Business size
US Collection Agencies business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,259 | 43.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 466 | 16.2% |
| 10 to 19 | 413 | 14.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 357 | 12.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 160 | 5.6% |
| 100 to 249 | 137 | 4.8% |
| 250 to 499 | 62 | 2.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 20 | 0.7% |
| 1,000 or more | 3 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Collection Agencies and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 56Administrative and Support Services 561Business Support Services 5614
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 561440 | Collection Agencies | 91,811 | $50,946 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Collection Agencies in the US?
91,811 people worked at 2,877 US Collection Agencies business locations in 2023, down 13.5% from 2022. That is 0.07% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Collection Agencies?
$50,946 a year per employee in 2023, from $4.7 billion in annual payroll (up 1.0% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Collection Agencies jobs?
Texas had the most, with 13,155 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (8,863) and New York (7,446).
Which metro areas have the most Collection Agencies jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (3,861), Jacksonville, FL (3,756), San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX (3,032) had the most Collection Agencies employees in 2023.
Are most Collection Agencies businesses small?
74.3% of the 2,877 Collection Agencies business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 23 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.