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Health unit clerk vs records specialist

The differences between health unit clerks and records 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 records specialist. Additionally, a records specialist has an average salary of $33,273, 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 records specialist are customer service, data entry, and office equipment.

Health unit clerk vs records specialist overview

Health Unit ClerkRecords Specialist
Yearly salary$31,986$33,273
Hourly rate$15.38$16.00
Growth rate11%11%
Number of jobs130,92028,647
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

Health unit clerk vs records specialist salary

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

Health Unit ClerkRecords Specialist
Average salary$31,986$33,273
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $38,000Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City-San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state-Oregon
Best paying company-Mt. San Antonio College
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between health unit clerk and records specialist education

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

Health Unit ClerkRecords Specialist
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 33%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Health unit clerk vs records specialist demographics

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

Health Unit ClerkRecords Specialist
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 12.2% Female, 87.8%Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between health unit clerk and records 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.
  • Show more

Records specialist example responsibilities.

  • Develop numerous SQL scripts/queries for monitoring and managing the system.
  • Manage thousands of cases for several firms with deadlines for depositions while ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and HIPAA compliance.
  • Train and mentore employees in EDMS.
  • Process project records for retention in EDMS.
  • Represent DOJ at an ODNI language training conference.
  • Liaise with GIS group to resolve mapping issues.
  • Show more

Health unit clerk vs records specialist skills

Common health unit clerk skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Patient Care, 19%
  • Medical Terminology, 13%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Data Entry, 5%
  • Computer Programs, 3%
Common records specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 25%
  • Data Entry, 14%
  • Office Equipment, 5%
  • Word Processing, 5%
  • Database Systems, 5%
  • Management System, 5%

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