Appointment scheduler vs scheduling specialist

The differences between appointment schedulers and scheduling specialists 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 scheduling specialist. Additionally, a scheduling specialist has an average salary of $37,269, which is higher than the $34,414 average annual salary of an appointment scheduler.

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

Appointment scheduler vs scheduling specialist overview

	Appointment Scheduler	Scheduling Specialist
Yearly salary	$34,414	$37,269
Hourly rate	$16.55	$17.92
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	17,639	73,381
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 scheduling specialist do?

A scheduling specialist is responsible for managing the department's meeting, conference, and event schedules, as well as negotiating with suppliers and third-party vendors for appointment and program needs. Scheduling specialists may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, especially on communicating with clients and informing them of meetings, and responding to their concerns and inquiries. A scheduling specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as knowledge of the data processing procedures to maintain the organization's database, updating clients' information, and tracking business transactions.

Appointment scheduler vs scheduling specialist salary

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Scheduling Specialist
Average salary	$34,414	$37,269
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	UC Santa Barbara	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industry	Internet	Transportation

Differences between appointment scheduler and scheduling specialist education

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

	Appointment Scheduler	Scheduling Specialist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Appointment scheduler vs scheduling specialist demographics

Here are the differences between appointment schedulers' and scheduling specialists' demographics:

	Appointment Scheduler	Scheduling Specialist
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1%
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, 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 scheduling specialist 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.

Scheduling specialist example responsibilities.

Manage clinic visit schedules, rehabilitation conferences, medical exams, trial appearances, depositions, etc.
Treat all patients with compassion and dignity no matter what their socioeconomic status is.
Job entail becoming familiar with medical insurance carriers, which include Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Schedule patients for radiology procedures, including complicate scheduling for multiple exams in one patient visit.
Register patients into EMR system, ensuring accuracy when updating patient information, demographics and insurance.
Schedule outpatient appointment for radiology patients, verify insurance, obtain authorization from insurance companies for special procedures.

Appointment scheduler vs scheduling specialist skills

Common appointment scheduler skills

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

Common scheduling specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Excellent Interpersonal, 4%

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Appointment Scheduler vs Scheduling Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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