Appointment scheduler vs patient service representative

The differences between appointment schedulers and patient service representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an appointment scheduler, becoming a patient service representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an appointment scheduler has an average salary of $34,414, which is higher than the $32,476 average annual salary of a patient service representative.

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

Appointment scheduler vs patient service representative overview

	Appointment Scheduler	Patient Service Representative
Yearly salary	$34,414	$32,476
Hourly rate	$16.55	$15.61
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	17,639	165,920
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	49	40
Years of experience	2	4

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 patient service representative do?

A Patient Service Representative is responsible for coordinating with patients, ensuring accuracy and satisfaction at all times. The duties of a Patient Service Representative revolves around greeting and responding to patients, offering assistance in documentation, gathering and maintaining their personal information, and even communicating with the family or guardian. They also have to collect payments and process insurance details, obtain medical history, and even keep the patients updated in various aspects. Aside from this, it is crucial for a Representative coordinate with supervisors or personnel in-charge at all times.

Appointment scheduler vs patient service representative salary

Appointment schedulers and patient service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Appointment Scheduler	Patient Service Representative
Average salary	$34,414	$32,476
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $27,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Vermont
Best paying company	UC Santa Barbara	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Internet	Health Care

Differences between appointment scheduler and patient service representative education

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Patient Service Representative
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Appointment scheduler vs patient service representative demographics

Here are the differences between appointment schedulers' and patient service representatives' demographics:

	Appointment Scheduler	Patient Service Representative
Average age	49	40
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between appointment scheduler and patient service representative 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.

Patient service representative example responsibilities.

Manage the daily release of charges to A/R.
Adhere with all state and federal regulations such as EMTALA and HIPPA requirements and appropriately collect co-payments and deductibles from patients.
Provide caring and compassion to elderly and developmentally disable patients.
Demonstrate respect, compassion and confidentiality for patients and family members.
Provide professional and accurate service to schedule patient appointments, check-in and verify insurance eligibility.
Provide quality customer service to patients and observe all protocols regarding HIPPA regulations to ensure patient confidentiality.

Appointment scheduler vs patient service representative skills

Common appointment scheduler skills

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

Common patient service representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Check-In, 7%
Patient Service, 6%
Excellent Organizational, 6%

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Appointment Scheduler
Appointment Scheduler vs Patient Service Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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