Debt, rent and other cash collectors: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time debt, rent and other cash collectors in the UK earned a median £29,097 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 25% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (89th from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £26,163 and £33,638.
Median full-time pay: women £27,771 a year, men £30,421 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 11,000 employee jobs, 82% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 34.1% (from £21,693), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 15,500 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | £492.40 | £12.65 | – | – | £12.40 |
| 20th percentile | £25,547 | £509.50 | £13.20 | £22,463* | £457.30* | £13.03 |
| 25th percentile | £26,163 | £515.60 | £13.48 | £23,867* | £486.70 | £13.27 |
| 30th percentile | £26,967 | £521.20 | £13.77 | £24,846 | £497.90 | £13.56 |
| 40th percentile | £27,493 | £531.50 | £14.24 | £26,914 | £516.50 | £14.15 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £29,097 | £574.60 | £15.02 | £27,454 | £530.00 | £14.94 |
| 60th percentile | £30,836 | £611.40 | £15.75 | £29,885 | £574.80 | £15.36 |
| 70th percentile | £32,548 | £645.20 | £16.41 | £31,282 | £623.70 | £16.18 |
| 75th percentile | £33,638* | £673.60* | £16.83* | £32,524* | £641.80 | £16.46* |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £673.70* | £17.31* |
| Mean | £30,927 | £618.30 | £15.95 | £28,201 | £552.30 | £15.79 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £21,693 | £412.80 | £10.85 | £21,084 | £404.10 | 14* |
| 2022 revised | £22,499 | £434.40 | £11.46 | £22,125 | £421.80 | 12* |
| 2023 revised | £24,237 | £471.00 | £12.27 | £23,494 | £454.20 | 11* |
| 2024 revised | £26,894 | £527.30 | £13.53 | £25,671 | £498.20 | 11* |
| 2025 provisional | £29,097 | £574.60 | £15.02 | £27,454 | £530.00 | 11* |
Debt, rent and other cash collectors by region
UK: 15,500 (± 4,800), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What debt, rent and other cash collectors do
Debt, rent and other cash collectors collect payments due or overdue from households and businesses and empty cash from prepayment meters or machines. (ONS SOC 2020, 7122)
Also covers: bailiff, collecting agent, debt collector, meter reader, pawn broker, vending operator, accounts representative, arrears collector, auctioneer's bailiff, cash collector, cash converter, certificated bailiff, club collector, collection assistant, collection controller, collections advisor, collections controller and court bailiff (59 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Receives payment at centralised office or calls on household/business premises
- Records details of transaction, issues receipt or annotates rent book
- Reads gas, water and electricity meters
- Cleans, services and fills vending machines and collects money from meters, vending machines and other cash operated machinery
- Collects tolls from persons wishing to gain access to private roads, bridges, piers, etc. and operates tollgates to control entry
- Remits cash, cheques or credit notes to cashier, supervisor or bank, building society or post office
No academic qualifications are required. Training is typically provided on-the-job. This may be supplemented by specialised training courses within larger agencies. To become a bailiff, you will need to be certified, which includes an enhanced DBS check.
Related
Sales related occupations (median £30,030) · Collector salespersons and credit agents · Roundspersons and van salespersons · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026