Managing both the decision to extend credit and the work of collecting on it — setting customer credit limits, approving terms, and chasing the receivables that don't pay on time. The role tends to balance risk judgment with hands-on collections leadership and AR portfolio management.
Most weeks tend to revolve around the AR aging report and the credit decisions feeding it — new customer applications, credit reviews on existing accounts, collection calls and emails on past-due balances, and the tradeoffs between sales pressure and risk discipline. You'll often spend time with sales, customer service, and a collections team handling daily outreach. Progress shows up in days sales outstanding, bad-debt write-offs, and the speed at which disputes get resolved.
The harder part is often the tension with sales when credit says no or collections gets aggressive — the rep wants the order shipped, the customer wants a payment plan, and you're the one balancing risk with revenue. Variance across employers is wide: a small distributor's manager may handle every credit decision personally; a larger B2B company has portfolio segmentation, credit insurance, and automation that shifts the role toward analytics and oversight.
People who tend to thrive here are comfortable with both numbers and difficult phone calls — able to read a credit report in the morning and have a firm conversation with a delinquent customer in the afternoon. The role rewards judgment under conflicting pressure and steady follow-through on portfolio metrics. Many credit managers grow into treasury, AR leadership, or finance director paths over time.
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Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Business Operations roles →Managing both the decision to extend credit and the work of collecting on it — setting customer credit limits, approving terms, and chasing the receivables that don't pay on time. The role tends to balance risk judgment with hands-on collections leadership and AR portfolio management.
Median pay for a Credit and Collection Manager is about $162K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $86K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and Writing.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 14.8% through 2034, with roughly 818,620 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include F and B Director (Food and Beverage Director), L and D Director (Learning and Development Director), and Financial Planning and Analysis Analyst.
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