Billing administrator vs receptionist/billing clerk

The differences between billing administrators and receptionist/billing clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a billing administrator and a receptionist/billing clerk. Additionally, a billing administrator has an average salary of $39,442, which is higher than the $31,932 average annual salary of a receptionist/billing clerk.

The top three skills for a billing administrator include data entry, patients and billing issues. The most important skills for a receptionist/billing clerk are patients, data entry, and customer service.

Billing administrator vs receptionist/billing clerk overview

	Billing Administrator	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Yearly salary	$39,442	$31,932
Hourly rate	$18.96	$15.35
Growth rate	-3%	-
Number of jobs	71,952	129,530
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does a billing administrator do?

A billing administrator is primarily in charge of managing the billing and collection procedures of a company. They mostly handle administrative tasks such as gathering and organizing patient information, preparing billing data and invoices, maintaining and updating databases, and keeping an eye for any errors and inconsistencies, taking corrective measures right away. In some industries, a billing administrator must coordinate and submit receipts to insurance companies, answer client inquiries, discuss products and services, and produce regular reports. Moreover, as a billing administrator, it is essential to maintain a clear line of communication with staff for an efficient workflow.

What does a receptionist/billing clerk do?

A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies. A receptionist/billing clerk must have excellent communication and analytical skills, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, escalating high-level complaints to the billing management. They should also maintain records of financial documentation for reference and reconciliation as needed.

Billing administrator vs receptionist/billing clerk salary

Billing administrators and receptionist/billing clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Billing Administrator	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Average salary	$39,442	$31,932
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $51,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Santa Maria, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Alaska
Best paying company	Buckley King	Leggett & Platt
Best paying industry	Construction	Technology

Differences between billing administrator and receptionist/billing clerk education

There are a few differences between a billing administrator and a receptionist/billing clerk in terms of educational background:

	Billing Administrator	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Billing administrator vs receptionist/billing clerk demographics

Here are the differences between billing administrators' and receptionist/billing clerks' demographics:

	Billing Administrator	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3%	Male, 7.2% Female, 92.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.0% Asian, 5.7% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between billing administrator and receptionist/billing clerk duties and responsibilities

Billing administrator example responsibilities.

Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
Perform coding of inpatient/outpatient office, endoscopy, & pathology services and ensure proper assignment of ICD-9 and CPT codes.
Experience with CMS FISS systems.
Coordinate HCPC and ICD-9 codes for billing.
Reconcile JDE invoicing reports to CMS invoicing reports.
Implement corporate or departmental policies, HIPAA compliance, and service standards in conjunction with clinical and billing.

Receptionist/billing clerk example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Obtain and track all insurance referrals for patients with HMO products.
Coordinate in-processing of all patients, to include accurate insurance information and payments are entered correctly into office computer system.
Move from SNF billing to HMO outpatient billing and keep a large alpha current.
Maintain confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA guidelines.
Develop effective billing strategies for Medicaid recipients according to HIPPA rules and regulations.

Billing administrator vs receptionist/billing clerk skills

Common billing administrator skills

Data Entry, 12%
Patients, 12%
Billing Issues, 7%
Financial Reports, 4%
Billing System, 4%
Medical Billing, 3%

Common receptionist/billing clerk skills

Patients, 25%
Data Entry, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Telephone Calls, 7%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Front Desk, 5%

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Billing Administrator
Billing Administrator vs Receptionist/Billing Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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