Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between cancer registrars and health information specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a cancer registrar and a health information specialist. Additionally, a cancer registrar has an average salary of $49,393, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.
The top three skills for a cancer registrar include patients, CTR and medical terminology. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.
| Cancer Registrar | Health Information Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,393 | $33,343 |
| Hourly rate | $23.75 | $16.03 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 11,722 | 135,448 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Cancer registrars collect and report data related to cancer. They gather information like the history, treatment used, diagnosis, and current status of cancer patients. The data collected will be used by cancer treatment facilities, healthcare workers, researchers, and several others to improve the knowledge that every health care department have and to increase the chances of survival of cancer patients. Some of the basic skills that a cancer registrar should have are analytical skills, detail orientation, and critical thinking skills to make sure that all data gathered are documented and stored in a safe place.
A health information specialist is in charge of overseeing and developing strategies to optimize information management procedures in hospitals, physicians' offices, and other similar environments. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and updating medical records, receiving and organizing files, and updating databases according to the appropriate coding systems and procedures. Furthermore, as a health information specialist, it is essential to coordinate with nurses and other staff to ensure accuracy in documentation, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Cancer registrars and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cancer Registrar | Health Information Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,393 | $33,343 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $72,000 | Between $25,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | University of California |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a cancer registrar and a health information specialist in terms of educational background:
| Cancer Registrar | Health Information Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between cancer registrars' and health information specialists' demographics:
| Cancer Registrar | Health Information Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.8% Female, 92.2% | Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |