Billing specialist vs registration specialist

The differences between billing specialists and registration specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a billing specialist, becoming a registration specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a billing specialist has an average salary of $35,624, which is higher than the $30,422 average annual salary of a registration specialist.

The top three skills for a billing specialist include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a registration specialist are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Billing specialist vs registration specialist overview

	Billing Specialist	Registration Specialist
Yearly salary	$35,624	$30,422
Hourly rate	$17.13	$14.63
Growth rate	-3%	-4%
Number of jobs	55,205	79,118
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a billing specialist do?

Billing specialists are accounting or finance employees who are responsible for sending out billing invoices to clients. They calculate charges that their clients have incurred. They then write bills, ensure that all details are correct, and send these out to clients. They also manage payment due dates and ensure that clients are duly reminded of such deadlines. Billing specialists also manage client accounts and ensure that they are paying on time. They help identify clients who have outstanding payables and send out collection notices to them. At times, billing specialists also manage the receipt of payments to manage account records better.

What does a registration specialist do?

A registration specialist is responsible for managing patient information, including the verification of their insurance details and medical treatment schedules. Registration specialists assign admission rooms and processing payments for discharge. They also assist patients with the completion of medical forms by helping them fill-out papers with the most accurate information. A registration specialist performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, requiring them to have excellent data management skills to process information and provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

Billing specialist vs registration specialist salary

Billing specialists and registration specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Billing Specialist	Registration Specialist
Average salary	$35,624	$30,422
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $45,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Massachusetts
Best paying company	TIBCO Software	Deloitte
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between billing specialist and registration specialist education

There are a few differences between a billing specialist and a registration specialist in terms of educational background:

	Billing Specialist	Registration Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Billing specialist vs registration specialist demographics

Here are the differences between billing specialists' and registration specialists' demographics:

	Billing Specialist	Registration Specialist
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between billing specialist and registration specialist duties and responsibilities

Billing specialist example responsibilities.

Use of QuickBooks to manage vendors' accounts, set up filing system to maintain files and supporting billing documents.
Manage the daily correspondence with keeping doctor/patient confidentiality under consideration along with HIPPA regulations.
Use independent judgment, manage and impart confidential information appropriately per HIPAA regulations and company requirements.
Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
Provide additional information/clarification for insurance claims using knowledge of CPT, ICD-9, and HCPCS codes, as well as modifiers.
Assist staff with proper billing for patients, ensure proper coding using ICD-10, ICD-9 and CPT-4 coding.

Registration specialist example responsibilities.

Attain and authenticate patient insurance information, counsel patients on changes in insurance policies, verify patient demographics.
Help patients through the registration and admitting processes and also contribute to the PBX department.
Input data entries for insurance billing; adding CPT codes and diagnosis from face sheets as patients arrive.
Act as hospital PBX operator.
Complete all charge entry, enter all CPT and ICD-9 codes for billing for multiple doctors each day.
Enter patient information and verify information according to HIPAA regulations.

Billing specialist vs registration specialist skills

Common billing specialist skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 10%
Data Entry, 9%
Medical Billing, 7%
Medicaid, 6%
CPT, 3%

Common registration specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 14%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

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Billing Specialist
Billing Specialist vs Registration Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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