Appointment scheduler vs front office clerk

The differences between appointment schedulers and front office clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an appointment scheduler and a front office clerk. Additionally, an appointment scheduler has an average salary of $34,414, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a front office clerk.

The top three skills for an appointment scheduler include patients, phone calls and scheduling patient appointments. The most important skills for a front office clerk are patients, check-in, and data entry.

Appointment scheduler vs front office clerk overview

	Appointment Scheduler	Front Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$34,414	$31,051
Hourly rate	$16.55	$14.93
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	17,639	163,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	2	2

What does an appointment scheduler do?

An appointment scheduler works in the health care field in a medical office. Appointment schedulers contact patients with regards to their upcoming appointments. They direct calls to the appropriate staff members, pull medical records, and perform general clerical works. Their job involves educating patients or clients on health products and services. They also resolve the complaints and inquiries of the patients as well as other administrative duties.

What does a front office clerk do?

A front office clerk performs various administrative and secretarial duties, including welcoming and greeting clients and visitors, answering telephone calls, and managing the office budget. You will be responsible for monitoring, organizing, and forwarding emails and maintaining files and records. Other duties include following company policies and procedures, organizing transportation for guests, and handling and resolving guest complaints. In addition, you will also be responsible for invoicing and billing guests for their stay and used services.

Appointment scheduler vs front office clerk salary

Appointment schedulers and front office clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Appointment Scheduler	Front Office Clerk
Average salary	$34,414	$31,051
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Alaska
Best paying company	UC Santa Barbara	Limbach
Best paying industry	Internet	Government

Differences between appointment scheduler and front office clerk education

There are a few differences between an appointment scheduler and a front office clerk in terms of educational background:

	Appointment Scheduler	Front Office Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Appointment scheduler vs front office clerk demographics

Here are the differences between appointment schedulers' and front office clerks' demographics:

	Appointment Scheduler	Front Office Clerk
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between appointment scheduler and front office clerk duties and responsibilities

Appointment scheduler example responsibilities.

Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
Utilize the appropriate screening tools to accurately schedule internally refer patients for MRI appointments.
Obtain and enter complete registration demographic and insurance verification information (primary and secondary) into EMR system.
Implement a new TCMS and EHR database for the doctor's internal use.
Organize & archive electronic documents; scan and link charts and documents into the EHR
Used knowledge of key medical terms to determine patient's symptoms and refer to triage nurse when applicable.

Front office clerk example responsibilities.

Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Maintain a high knowledge level of regulations on the confidentiality of medical records (HIPAA).
Verify releases of information according to HIPPA regulations.
Maintain confidentiality of patient information; abiding by HIPPA guidelines.
Register all patients per registration protocols, schedule appointments, and provide appointment reminder calls.
Respond to routine technical questions regarding patients' right and responsibilities and medical eligibility for care.

Appointment scheduler vs front office clerk skills

Common appointment scheduler skills

Patients, 33%
Phone Calls, 10%
Scheduling Patient Appointments, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Outbound Calls, 4%
Medical Terminology, 4%

Common front office clerk skills

Patients, 34%
Check-In, 8%
Data Entry, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Front Desk, 4%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

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Appointment Scheduler
Appointment Scheduler vs Front Office Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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