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The differences between medical clerks and clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a medical clerk and a clerk. Additionally, a medical clerk has an average salary of $32,439, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for a medical clerk include patients, medical terminology and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| Medical Clerk | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $32,439 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $15.60 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 166,322 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 26% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
Medical clerks and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $32,439 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $40,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Brinks Gilson | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical clerk and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| Medical Clerk | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 26% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between medical clerks' and clerks' demographics:
| Medical Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |