Medical clerk vs registration specialist

The differences between medical clerks and registration specialists 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 registration specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical clerk has an average salary of $32,439, which is higher than the $30,422 average annual salary of a registration specialist.

The top three skills for a medical clerk include patients, medical terminology and data entry. The most important skills for a registration specialist are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Medical clerk vs registration specialist overview

	Medical Clerk	Registration Specialist
Yearly salary	$32,439	$30,422
Hourly rate	$15.60	$14.63
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	166,322	79,118
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
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 registration specialist do?

A registration specialist is responsible for managing patient information, including the verification of their insurance details and medical treatment schedules. Registration specialists assign admission rooms and processing payments for discharge. They also assist patients with the completion of medical forms by helping them fill-out papers with the most accurate information. A registration specialist performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, requiring them to have excellent data management skills to process information and provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

Medical clerk vs registration specialist salary

Medical clerks and registration specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Clerk	Registration Specialist
Average salary	$32,439	$30,422
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Minnesota	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Brinks Gilson	Deloitte
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between medical clerk and registration specialist education

There are a few differences between a medical clerk and a registration specialist in terms of educational background:

	Medical Clerk	Registration Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Medical clerk vs registration specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical clerks' and registration specialists' demographics:

	Medical Clerk	Registration Specialist
Average age	49	40
Gender ratio	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between medical clerk and registration specialist 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.

Registration specialist example responsibilities.

Attain and authenticate patient insurance information, counsel patients on changes in insurance policies, verify patient demographics.
Help patients through the registration and admitting processes and also contribute to the PBX department.
Input data entries for insurance billing; adding CPT codes and diagnosis from face sheets as patients arrive.
Act as hospital PBX operator.
Complete all charge entry, enter all CPT and ICD-9 codes for billing for multiple doctors each day.
Enter patient information and verify information according to HIPAA regulations.

Medical clerk vs registration specialist skills

Common medical clerk skills

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

Common registration specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 14%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Medical Clerk
Medical Clerk vs Registration Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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