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Doctor assistant vs front office assistant

The differences between doctor assistants and front office assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a doctor assistant, becoming a front office assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a doctor assistant has an average salary of $34,867, which is higher than the $32,913 average annual salary of a front office assistant.

The top three skills for a doctor assistant include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a front office assistant are patients, customer service, and excellent interpersonal.

Doctor assistant vs front office assistant overview

Doctor AssistantFront Office Assistant
Yearly salary$34,867$32,913
Hourly rate$16.76$15.82
Growth rate16%-5%
Number of jobs58,522149,847
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 27%Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Average age3747
Years of experience122

Doctor assistant vs front office assistant salary

Doctor assistants and front office assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Doctor AssistantFront Office Assistant
Average salary$34,867$32,913
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $51,000Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-Connecticut
Best paying company-University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between doctor assistant and front office assistant education

There are a few differences between a doctor assistant and a front office assistant in terms of educational background:

Doctor AssistantFront Office Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 27%Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Most common majorNursingMedical Assisting Services
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Doctor assistant vs front office assistant demographics

Here are the differences between doctor assistants' and front office assistants' demographics:

Doctor AssistantFront Office Assistant
Average age3747
Gender ratioMale, 16.3% Female, 83.7%Male, 9.7% Female, 90.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 24.0% Asian, 9.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between doctor assistant and front office assistant duties and responsibilities

Doctor assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage communication between patients and doctor to ensure patient comprehension of treatment plans and manage all triage calls.
  • Manage the movement of patient's through the ER from triage to discharge or to the floor once admit.
  • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
  • Maintain confidentiality with patients and follow HIPAA regulations.
  • Perform background physical evaluation with patients -assist physicians with daily patient care -Liaison between patients and attending physician.
  • Handle medical emergencies by employing knowledge of first aid and CPR.
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Front office assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage correspondence and documentation for OSHA compliance and hold some accounts payable responsibilities by coding invoices for processing and payment.
  • Ensure compliance with HIPAA and OSHA regulations to improve customer relations and promote favorable patient/physician interactions.
  • Download all transcription for the physicians and mail out letters and patient consults.
  • Utilize knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT coding by verifying explanation of benefits render to patient, for insurance purposes.
  • Collect co-pays, enter update demographics into EHR/EMR, enter ICD-9 and CPT codes as needed into patient records electronically
  • Verify insurance to include commercial and Medicaid.
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Doctor assistant vs front office assistant skills

Common doctor assistant skills
  • Patients, 37%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Vital Signs, 5%
  • Appointment Scheduling, 4%
  • Lab Results, 3%
  • EKG, 3%
Common front office assistant skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
  • Patient Demographics, 5%
  • Patient Care, 5%
  • Front Desk, 4%

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