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The differences between medical assistants and medical record assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical assistant and a medical record assistant. Additionally, a medical assistant has an average salary of $34,900, which is higher than the $34,870 average annual salary of a medical record assistant.
The top three skills for a medical assistant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a medical record assistant are patients, data entry, and HIPAA.
| Medical Assistant | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,900 | $34,870 |
| Hourly rate | $16.78 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 189,915 | 91,238 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 24% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 37 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Medical assistants provide support to medical practitioners in both administrative and clerical tasks. They keep and update the patient's medical records, administer medicines under the supervision of a physician, assist during medical examinations, prepare medical samples for laboratory testing, manage the schedule of appointments, and assist the patients with their bills and in filling out needed forms, such as insurance-related documents. Medical assistants should have good communication skills and analytical skills, be organized, and be flexible. They should also have knowledge of how to operate some medical equipment such as x-ray machines.
A medical record assistant is responsible for the proper documentation of the patients' information and medical records for reference to the attending physician or other medical professionals. Medical record assistants also track the patient's medical treatments and progress, as well as their health insurance details and coverage. They also respond to the patient's inquiries and concerns, including scheduling physician's appointments and updating the patients for any released medical results. A medical record assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, categorizing documents, and retrieving files for medical needs.
Medical assistants and medical record assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Assistant | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,900 | $34,870 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $43,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical assistant and a medical record assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Assistant | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 24% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between medical assistants' and medical record assistants' demographics:
| Medical Assistant | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 49.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |