Medical clerk vs patient care representative

The differences between medical clerks and patient care representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical clerk, becoming a patient care representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a patient care representative has an average salary of $33,709, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.

The top three skills for a medical clerk include patients, medical terminology and data entry. The most important skills for a patient care representative are patients, patient care, and home health.

Medical clerk vs patient care representative overview

	Medical Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Yearly salary	$32,439	$33,709
Hourly rate	$15.60	$16.21
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	166,322	133,317
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	49	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a medical clerk do?

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.

What does a patient care representative do?

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. They must be able to communicate with patients, family members, and medical staff to give them all the information they need to treat the person looking for medical help.

Medical clerk vs patient care representative salary

Medical clerks and patient care representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Average salary	$32,439	$33,709
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Minnesota	Alaska
Best paying company	Brinks Gilson	Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry	Government	Technology

Differences between medical clerk and patient care representative education

There are a few differences between a medical clerk and a patient care representative in terms of educational background:

	Medical Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Medical clerk vs patient care representative demographics

Here are the differences between medical clerks' and patient care representatives' demographics:

	Medical Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Average age	49	40
Gender ratio	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
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, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between medical clerk and patient care representative duties and responsibilities

Medical clerk example 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.

Patient care representative example responsibilities.

Manage cash and co-payments accurately and discharge patients providing them with proper medical notes and information before exiting.
Verify insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, register patients, and code proper ICD-9 and CPT codes on encounters.
Utilize medical terminology, CPT, HCPC and ICD-9 and patient information into new authorizations.
Interview patients to gather information pertinent to their Medicaid application.
Screen, identify, and enter ICD-9 coding from treatment record forms.
Maintain patient confidentiality and follow HIPAA rules.

Medical clerk vs patient care representative skills

Common medical clerk skills

Patients, 32%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Data Entry, 6%
Phone Calls, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Telephone Calls, 3%

Common patient care representative skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 13%
Home Health, 7%
Cash Management, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
CPT, 3%

Medical Clerk vs. similar jobs

Medical Clerk related careers

Medical Clerk related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Medical Clerk
Medical Clerk vs Patient Care Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs