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The differences between medical assisting externs and medical clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical assisting extern, becoming a medical clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical assisting extern has an average salary of $35,737, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.
The top three skills for a medical assisting extern include patients, vital signs and EKG. The most important skills for a medical clerk are patients, medical terminology, and data entry.
| Medical Assisting Extern | Medical Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $35,737 | $32,439 |
| Hourly rate | $17.18 | $15.60 |
| Growth rate | 16% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 81,077 | 166,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 26% |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A medical assisting extern is responsible for supporting the medical team in ensuring that the patients are offered the best care services by providing treatments and medications. Medical assisting externs' duties include practicing their medical skills by shadowing on medical professionals' activities, assisting patients with their inquiries and concerns, facilitating medical procedures with the doctor's supervision, and learning to operate medical tools and equipment as needed. A medical assisting extern must have excellent knowledge in the health industry, as well as a fast-learner to be familiarized with the complexities of medical processes and procedures.
A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.
Medical assisting externs and medical clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Assisting Extern | Medical Clerk | |
| Average salary | $35,737 | $32,439 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $48,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | - | Brinks Gilson |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical assisting extern and a medical clerk in terms of educational background:
| Medical Assisting Extern | Medical Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 26% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between medical assisting externs' and medical clerks' demographics:
| Medical Assisting Extern | Medical Clerk | |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7% | Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 9.6% White, 50.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 6% | 9% |