Appointment scheduler vs medical clerk

The differences between appointment schedulers and medical 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 medical clerk. Additionally, an appointment scheduler has an average salary of $34,414, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.

The top three skills for an appointment scheduler include patients, phone calls and scheduling patient appointments. The most important skills for a medical clerk are patients, medical terminology, and data entry.

Appointment scheduler vs medical clerk overview

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Clerk
Yearly salary	$34,414	$32,439
Hourly rate	$16.55	$15.60
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	17,639	166,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Average age	49	49
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 medical clerk do?

A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.

Appointment scheduler vs medical clerk salary

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Clerk
Average salary	$34,414	$32,439
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Minnesota
Best paying company	UC Santa Barbara	Brinks Gilson
Best paying industry	Internet	Government

Differences between appointment scheduler and medical clerk education

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Appointment scheduler vs medical clerk demographics

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Clerk
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between appointment scheduler and medical 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.

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Medical clerk example responsibilities.

Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Follow HIPPA patient confidentiality guidelines making patients or facility have filled proper forms to release records.
File results of laboratory tests, x-rays, EKG's, etc., in patients records.
Respond and resolve patient inquiries with compassion and patience.
Prepare request for EKG tests, eye examinations, audio and dental records.
Enter deficiencies into MediTech program.

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Appointment scheduler vs medical 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 medical clerk skills

Patients, 32%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Data Entry, 6%
Phone Calls, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Telephone Calls, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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