Clinic receptionist vs registration specialist

The differences between clinic receptionists 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 clinic receptionist, becoming a registration specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinic receptionist has an average salary of $31,647, which is higher than the $30,422 average annual salary of a registration specialist.

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

Clinic receptionist vs registration specialist overview

	Clinic Receptionist	Registration Specialist
Yearly salary	$31,647	$30,422
Hourly rate	$15.21	$14.63
Growth rate	-	-4%
Number of jobs	93,243	79,118
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
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 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.

Clinic receptionist vs registration specialist salary

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

	Clinic Receptionist	Registration Specialist
Average salary	$31,647	$30,422
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $37,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Oxnard, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Emanate Health	Deloitte
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between clinic receptionist and registration specialist education

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

	Clinic Receptionist	Registration Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Clinic receptionist vs registration specialist demographics

Here are the differences between clinic receptionists' and registration specialists' demographics:

	Clinic Receptionist	Registration Specialist
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 8.5% Female, 91.5%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
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, 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	6%	7%

Differences between clinic receptionist and registration specialist 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.

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.

Clinic receptionist vs registration specialist skills

Common clinic receptionist skills

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

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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Clinic Receptionist
Clinic Receptionist vs Registration Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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