How to hire a medical clerk

How to hire a medical clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step medical clerk hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a medical clerk job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new medical clerk
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a medical clerk do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your medical clerk job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a medical clerk for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A medical clerk's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, medical clerks from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents medical clerk salaries for various positions.

   Type of Medical Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Clerk	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$12-19
   Patient Access Representative	A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing... Show more	$12-19
   Patient Care Representative	PCRs (Patient Care Representatives) are given responsibilities like updating and verifying patient information after every visit, scheduling and reminding patients about appointments, and informing patients about delays and how long the estimated waiting times will be. They are also responsible for obtaining patients' personal information like their address, contact details, insurance information, and medical and surgical history... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Medical Terminology
   • Data Entry
   • Phone Calls
   • Patient Care
   • Telephone Calls
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Patient Charts
   • Clerical Support
   • Front Desk
   • Patient Appointments
   • HIPAA
   • Office Equipment
   • Provide Clerical Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
   • Follow HIPPA patient confidentiality guidelines making patients or facility have filled proper forms to release records.
   • File results of laboratory tests, x-rays, EKG's, etc., in patients records.
   • Respond and resolve patient inquiries with compassion and patience.
   • Prepare request for EKG tests, eye examinations, audio and dental records.
   • Enter deficiencies into MediTech program.

   More medical clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical clerk job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A medical clerk can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, medical clerks' average salary in mississippi is 47% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level medical clerks 35% less than senior-level medical clerks.
   • Certifications. A medical clerk with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a medical clerk's salary.

   Average medical clerk salary

   $15.60hourly

   $32,439 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level medical clerk salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average medical clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$42,701	$21
   2	California	$36,976	$18
   3	Maryland	$32,141	$15
   4	New York	$32,067	$15
   5	Illinois	$31,823	$15
   6	Arizona	$31,600	$15
   7	Wisconsin	$31,136	$15
   8	Florida	$29,556	$14
   9	Georgia	$29,381	$14
   10	Texas	$29,136	$14
   11	Pennsylvania	$29,116	$14
   12	Ohio	$28,676	$14
   13	South Carolina	$28,290	$14
   14	Louisiana	$27,300	$13
   15	Tennessee	$26,485	$13

   Average medical clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Brinks Gilson	$42,800	$20.58
   2	Alameda Health System	$34,179	$16.43	9
   3	Texas	$33,982	$16.34	10
   4	Medical University of South Carolina	$33,934	$16.31	33
   5	Teck American Inc	$33,472	$16.09
   6	My.com	$32,922	$15.83	3
   7	Management & Training	$32,643	$15.69	4
   8	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$32,642	$15.69	35
   9	Maryhaven, Inc.	$32,570	$15.66	1
   10	Spectrum Healthcare Resources	$32,463	$15.61	6
   11	Well Care Health	$32,443	$15.60	6
   12	P3 HealthCare Solutions	$32,265	$15.51	1
   13	Decypher	$32,257	$15.51	2
   14	Kelly Services	$32,036	$15.40	41
   15	Signature Performance	$32,000	$15.38
   16	Randstad North America, Inc.	$31,994	$15.38	22
   17	RWC	$31,695	$15.24
   18	First Care Clinics	$31,355	$15.07
   19	Lake County	$31,082	$14.94	8
   20	Aerotek	$30,914	$14.86	79

4. Writing a medical clerk job description

   A job description for a medical clerk role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a medical clerk job description:

   Medical clerk job description example

   SUMMARY: Under general supervision, to do medical clerical work of a difficult and specialized nature; and to do related work as required.
   
   DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.
   
   1. Extracts from medical records information concerning condition, treatment, tests, medications, operative procedures, and final diagnoses of patients discharged from County hospitals; and sends to appropriate legal, health care, and other agencies.
   
   2. Analyzes patients' medical charts for completion and accuracy, prepares statements of diagnosis and treatments, and extracts other information required for the completion of forms received from patients' insurance carriers.
   
   3. Takes and transcribes doctors' orders, case histories, physical examination notes, and related permanent medical records information and reports containing a wide variety of specialized medical terminology.
   
   4. Acts as a receptionist in a clinical setting; answers telephone calls from providers, patients, doctors, nurses, visitors; screens patients over the phone to correctly refer to medical and specialty clinics; delivers messages to nursing staff, doctors, and ancillary department personnel; makes clinical appointments for patients; and uses intercom system.
   
   5. Uses computer to request lab work, diet orders, x-rays, consults, medical records, medication amounts and schedule, physical therapy, EKG's; uses computer to charge patients for services provided; gathers and inputs appropriate information in computer to complete the billing process or for case management/financial eligibility purposes; and enters information on RAND sheet.
   6. Orders and restocks supplies for the hospital ward or department.
   
   7. Prepares paperwork for admissions, discharges and transfers of patients; reviews medical papers received by mail and appropriately distributes or files; pulls and files charts, medical and lab sheets, etc. in medical records; assists with preparation of payroll and scheduling documents; and types forms, letters, memoranda, etc.
   
   8. Delivers specimens to laboratory following established procedures to insure proper specimen identification and correct test request.
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   Education: High School diploma or GED with additional training a minimum. College graduate preferred.
   
   Minimum Experience: Either one year of experience in the class of Clerk II or an equivalent higher level clerical class with AHS; or equivalent of one year full-time experience in clerical work that requires using and interpreting a wide variety of medical terminology; or completion of a medical terminology course or medical assisting program at an accredited college or university, plus the equivalent of one-year full-time experience in clerical work.
   
   Required Licenses/Certifications: CPI -Crisis Prevention Intervention Training (required for all positions at John George Psychiatric Pavilion; and preferred for certain positions in the Emergency Department).

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find medical clerks for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any medical clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level medical clerks with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical clerk job on Zippia to find and recruit medical clerk candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with medical clerk candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new medical clerk

   Once you've selected the best medical clerk candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a medical clerk?