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The differences between clinical medical assistants and medical office administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a clinical medical assistant, becoming a medical office administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical medical assistant has an average salary of $37,052, which is higher than the $34,252 average annual salary of a medical office administrator.
The top three skills for a clinical medical assistant include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a medical office administrator are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Office Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,052 | $34,252 |
| Hourly rate | $17.81 | $16.47 |
| Growth rate | 16% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 233,464 | 179,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A clinical medical assistant specializes in performing administrative and clinical tasks in a hospital or similar setting. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's information, medical history, test results, and other essential documentation, and updating patient medical records. Other tasks include reaching out to patients' families and guardians, assisting health workers with room preparation and patient care, and preparing medications and other treatments, all in adherence to a physician's directives. Furthermore, a clinical medical assistant may conduct inspections to ensure that the hospital complies with government regulations.
A medical office administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties within a health care institution, supplying physicians and medical professionals with patients' information, and coordinating with insurance companies. Medical office administrators handle the information and data management system to ensure the accuracy of patients' details, medical history, and treatment plans. They also schedule doctor appointments and cancellations, as well as monitoring the inventory of medical supplies. A medical office administrator submits payment reports, respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, and process billing disputes.
Clinical medical assistants and medical office administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Office Administrator | |
| Average salary | $37,052 | $34,252 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $27,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical medical assistant and a medical office administrator in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Office Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between clinical medical assistants' and medical office administrators' demographics:
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Office Administrator | |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2% | Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |