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Medical coding technician vs assistant laboratory technician

The differences between medical coding technicians and assistant laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical coding technician and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, an assistant laboratory technician has an average salary of $35,556, which is higher than the $35,307 average annual salary of a medical coding technician.

The top three skills for a medical coding technician include medical billing, data entry and front desk. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.

Medical coding technician vs assistant laboratory technician overview

Medical Coding TechnicianAssistant Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary$35,307$35,556
Hourly rate$16.97$17.09
Growth rate11%1%
Number of jobs67,197116,488
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 30%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4544
Years of experience1212

What does a medical coding technician do?

The job of a medical coding technician is to assist in the management of insurance claims, payments, and invoices. Your day-to-day duties may include reviewing claims data to ensure that the assigned codes meet the insurance and legal rules, understanding the diagnosis of patients and medical procedures that have been performed, and extracting information from documentation such as the name of the physician and the date of the procedure. Additionally, abmedical coding technician also follows up with patients and insurance firms regarding outstanding bills.

What does an assistant laboratory technician do?

The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.

Medical coding technician vs assistant laboratory technician salary

Medical coding technicians and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical Coding TechnicianAssistant Laboratory Technician
Average salary$35,307$35,556
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $43,000Between $21,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City-Manchester, NH
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Patterson-UTI Energy
Best paying industry--

Differences between medical coding technician and assistant laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a medical coding technician and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

Medical Coding TechnicianAssistant Laboratory Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 30%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorHealth Care AdministrationBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Medical coding technician vs assistant laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between medical coding technicians' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:

Medical Coding TechnicianAssistant Laboratory Technician
Average age4544
Gender ratioMale, 15.3% Female, 84.7%Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage9%8%

Differences between medical coding technician and assistant laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Medical coding technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage health records while applying ICD-10 coding to update and process insurance claims for time and accuracy to various insurance companies.
  • Assign appropriate ICD-9-CM and CPT-4 codes in compliance with recognize coding principles and department policies.
  • Remain current on medical coding guidelines and HIPAA laws and regulations.
  • Reconcile clinical notes, patient encounter form, and health information for compliance with HIPAA rules.
  • Audit ROI program quarterly to ensure deadlines are completed and proper procedures for legal and personal requests are followed.
  • Train team members in all ROI processes, make independent decisions base on the provisions of these privacy laws and regulations.
  • Show more

Assistant laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
  • Work with non-gynecological specimens including thin prep, cytospins or formalin and cellient cell blocks.
  • Work in cytology lab performing prep duties of surgical fluids, FNA aspirates and pap smears.
  • Verify test requirements utilizing LIS.
  • Obtain insurance authorization and provide patients resources regarding insurance coverage and financial responsibilities.
  • Collect, identify, categorize, and analyze bodily fluids relate to non-gynecological cytology.
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Medical coding technician vs assistant laboratory technician skills

Common medical coding technician skills
  • Medical Billing, 14%
  • Data Entry, 12%
  • Front Desk, 10%
  • CPC, 9%
  • ICD-10-CM, 7%
  • Transcription, 6%
Common assistant laboratory technician skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Ladders, 11%
  • Computer Lab, 8%
  • Vital Signs, 7%
  • EKG, 6%
  • CPR, 5%

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