Health unit clerk vs health information specialist

The differences between health unit clerks and health information specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a health unit clerk and a health information specialist. Additionally, a health information specialist has an average salary of $33,343, which is higher than the $31,986 average annual salary of a health unit clerk.

The top three skills for a health unit clerk include patients, patient care and medical terminology. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.

Health unit clerk vs health information specialist overview

	Health Unit Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$31,986	$33,343
Hourly rate	$15.38	$16.03
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	130,920	135,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Health unit clerk vs health information specialist salary

Health unit clerks and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Unit Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Average salary	$31,986	$33,343
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	University of California
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between health unit clerk and health information specialist education

There are a few differences between a health unit clerk and a health information specialist in terms of educational background:

	Health Unit Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Health unit clerk vs health information specialist demographics

Here are the differences between health unit clerks' and health information specialists' demographics:

	Health Unit Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 12.2% Female, 87.8%	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between health unit clerk and health information specialist duties and responsibilities

Health unit clerk example responsibilities.

Manage inpatient transfers to rehabilitation and medical facilities, along with preparing and monitoring outpatient billings insurance verification and referrals.
Perform debt collections, copy and file medical information, and administer affidavits and subpoenas on patient orders.
Organize, analyze and technically evaluate inpatient and outpatient medical records for physician completeness according to hospital bylaws and JCAHO standards.
Safeguard patient information according to the HIPPA policy.
Remain up to date on HIPPA regulations and utilize them to obtain inmate medical records from outside providers.
Comply with the rule and regulations of HIPAA.

Health information specialist example responsibilities.

Manage chart completion (ICD-9-CM and CPT coding/abstracting), chart assembly and analysis, patient admission and patient information privacy/security.
Review and audit medical records for correct DRG and APC assignment.
Certify requests for subpoenas, court orders, legal cases and training of employees.
Utilize Cerner and Centricity systems to assist in ancillary services.
Abstract medical records with ICD9-CM, CPT and DRG coding.
Scan documentation via DCS into HPF to be index under ROI.

Health unit clerk vs health information specialist skills

Common health unit clerk skills

Patients, 29%
Patient Care, 19%
Medical Terminology, 13%
CPR, 7%
Data Entry, 5%
Computer Programs, 3%

Common health information specialist skills

Patients, 26%
HIPAA, 11%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Data Entry, 4%
Office Equipment, 3%

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Health Unit Clerk vs Health Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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