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The differences between credentialing specialists and referral coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a credentialing specialist and a referral coordinator. Additionally, a credentialing specialist has an average salary of $40,899, which is higher than the $35,179 average annual salary of a referral coordinator.
The top three skills for a credentialing specialist include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a referral coordinator are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.
| Credentialing Specialist | Referral Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $40,899 | $35,179 |
| Hourly rate | $19.66 | $16.91 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 68,021 | 65,934 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Credentialing specialists are employed by healthcare organizations, primarily to make sure that medical personnel and health facilities maintain compliance with regulations. They keep a record of the medical practitioner's credentials and make sure that their licenses are updated and issued legally for their specialty. They have to inform the medical staff of the upcoming renewal dates of their license and advise them on how to keep their credentials updated. Potential new employees are also monitored and screened for their current and required licenses before getting hired. Applicants for this job must have excellent knowledge and understanding of health information management. They must also work on maintaining licensure and credentials while applying the governing rules and standards.
A referral coordinator works with insurance companies and care providers to share essential patient information and assists primarily in scheduling appointments and managing health insurance issues. As a referral coordinator, you will work directly with the patient, patient families, or even social workers, depending on the job and patient needs. Other job responsibilities include general administrative or clerical tasks such as setting up appointments for new and existing patients, verifying insurance information before appointments, and answering phone calls.
Credentialing specialists and referral coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Credentialing Specialist | Referral Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $40,899 | $35,179 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Maine |
| Best paying company | Hawaii Pacific Health | Horizon Laser Vision |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a credentialing specialist and a referral coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Credentialing Specialist | Referral Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between credentialing specialists' and referral coordinators' demographics:
| Credentialing Specialist | Referral Coordinator | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5% | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 9% |