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The differences between cancer registrars and medical record assistants 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 medical record assistant. Additionally, a cancer registrar has an average salary of $49,393, which is higher than the $34,870 average annual salary of a medical record assistant.
The top three skills for a cancer registrar include patients, CTR and medical terminology. The most important skills for a medical record assistant are patients, data entry, and HIPAA.
| Cancer Registrar | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $49,393 | $34,870 |
| Hourly rate | $23.75 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 11,722 | 91,238 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| 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 medical record assistant is responsible for the proper documentation of the patients' information and medical records for reference to the attending physician or other medical professionals. Medical record assistants also track the patient's medical treatments and progress, as well as their health insurance details and coverage. They also respond to the patient's inquiries and concerns, including scheduling physician's appointments and updating the patients for any released medical results. A medical record assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, categorizing documents, and retrieving files for medical needs.
Cancer registrars and medical record assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cancer Registrar | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average salary | $49,393 | $34,870 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $72,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a cancer registrar and a medical record assistant in terms of educational background:
| Cancer Registrar | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between cancer registrars' and medical record assistants' demographics:
| Cancer Registrar | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.8% Female, 92.2% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |