Clinic receptionist vs patient coordinator

The differences between clinic receptionists and patient coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinic receptionist, becoming a patient coordinator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a patient coordinator has an average salary of $32,954, which is higher than the $31,647 average annual salary of a clinic receptionist.

The top three skills for a clinic receptionist include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a patient coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Clinic receptionist vs patient coordinator overview

	Clinic Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Yearly salary	$31,647	$32,954
Hourly rate	$15.21	$15.84
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	93,243	97,878
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a clinic receptionist do?

A clinic receptionist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support clinical operations and provide the highest quality care services for the patients within a health care facility. Clinic receptionists receive and respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, manage doctor appointments, and verify medical procedure schedules. They also handle the patients' information, organize files, and confirm the patients' insurance details on the database. A clinic receptionist coordinates with suppliers and vendors to ensure the adequacy of medical inventories and maintenance repairs of equipment and machinery.

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

Clinic receptionist vs patient coordinator salary

Clinic receptionists and patient coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinic Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Average salary	$31,647	$32,954
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $37,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Oxnard, CA	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Emanate Health	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between clinic receptionist and patient coordinator education

There are a few differences between a clinic receptionist and a patient coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Clinic Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Clinic receptionist vs patient coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between clinic receptionists' and patient coordinators' demographics:

	Clinic Receptionist	Patient Coordinator
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 8.5% Female, 91.5%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between clinic receptionist and patient coordinator duties and responsibilities

Clinic receptionist example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Perform all assign tasks relate to admitting patients, discharging patients, laboratory, radiology, and respiratory services.
Schedule radiology exams for patients.
Schedule appointments, register new patients, update patient demographics, and provide comprehensive information.
Record physician orders on patients' charts in hospital MediTech computerize charting system.
Collect and verify patients' identity and insurance information and enter it into the MEDITECH system.

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

Clinic receptionist vs patient coordinator skills

Common clinic receptionist skills

Patients, 31%
Customer Service, 9%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Phone Calls, 7%
Appointment Scheduling, 5%
Patient Appointments, 4%

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

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Clinic Receptionist
Clinic Receptionist vs Patient Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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