Appointment scheduler vs medical scheduler

The differences between appointment schedulers and medical schedulers 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 scheduler. Additionally, an appointment scheduler has an average salary of $34,414, which is higher than the $32,201 average annual salary of a medical scheduler.

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

Appointment scheduler vs medical scheduler overview

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Scheduler
Yearly salary	$34,414	$32,201
Hourly rate	$16.55	$15.48
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	17,639	67,831
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 30%
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 scheduler do?

A medical scheduler typically works with patients to coordinate appointment dates and times with health care professionals. Medical schedulers often work in hospitals, outpatient care centers, and other medical practices. They perform other duties aside from managing patients' schedules that includes providing patients the information they need about the hospital and its policies, providing patient support, and handling and managing questions from patients. Medical schedulers also act as a link between patients, clinical staff, and referral sources.

Appointment scheduler vs medical scheduler salary

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Scheduler
Average salary	$34,414	$32,201
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Washington
Best paying company	UC Santa Barbara	Beacon Hill Staffing Group
Best paying industry	Internet	Health Care

Differences between appointment scheduler and medical scheduler education

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Scheduler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 30%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Appointment scheduler vs medical scheduler demographics

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Medical Scheduler
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 8.0% Female, 92.0%
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 scheduler 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.

Medical scheduler example responsibilities.

Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
Schedule patients for any testing that is necessary including MRI's, EMG's and Doppler's.
Transcribe physician orders including schedule labs, testing and screening/specimens and occasionally transport patients to various location of the hospital.
Prepare class for transition techniques to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10.
Perform basic medical assistant duties such as triage, vitals, administer IM injections.
Answer multiple phone lines simultaneously, schedule patient appointments, and interact with physicians and triage patient calls.

Appointment scheduler vs medical scheduler 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 scheduler skills

Patients, 29%
Customer Service, 15%
Medical Terminology, 6%
EMR, 5%
Data Entry, 3%
Insurance Verification, 3%

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Appointment Scheduler
Appointment Scheduler vs Medical Scheduler

Updated January 8, 2025

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