Medical language specialist vs recording technician

The differences between medical language specialists and recording 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 language specialist and a recording technician. Additionally, a medical language specialist has an average salary of $47,117, which is higher than the $34,620 average annual salary of a recording technician.

The top three skills for a medical language specialist include transcription, discharge summaries and dictation. The most important skills for a recording technician are customer service, data entry, and database systems.

Medical language specialist vs recording technician overview

	Medical Language Specialist	Recording Technician
Yearly salary	$47,117	$34,620
Hourly rate	$22.65	$16.64
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	71,209	25,621
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical language specialist do?

A Medical Language Specialist transcribes medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners. They listen to recorded dictations of medical professionals and turn them into diagnostic test results, articles, and other documents.

What does a recording technician do?

A recording technician specializes in operating audio systems and equipment for various purposes such as recordings, broadcasts, and events. It is their responsibility to prepare equipment according to project or program requirements like microphones, audio lines, speakers, and amplifiers, ensuring everything is accounted for and is functioning efficiently. Aside from setting up equipment, they must also conduct regular maintenance checks and perform repairs as necessary. Moreover, as a recording technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.

Medical language specialist vs recording technician salary

Medical language specialists and recording technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Language Specialist	Recording Technician
Average salary	$47,117	$34,620
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $61,000	Between $26,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Cruz, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	National Grid plc
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between medical language specialist and recording technician education

There are a few differences between a medical language specialist and a recording technician in terms of educational background:

	Medical Language Specialist	Recording Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	Duke University	Stanford University

Medical language specialist vs recording technician demographics

Here are the differences between medical language specialists' and recording technicians' demographics:

	Medical Language Specialist	Recording Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 7.3% Female, 92.7%	Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical language specialist and recording technician duties and responsibilities

Medical language specialist example responsibilities.

Prepare budget and manage department's employees' time, attendance and payroll process.
Create documentation education classes to general surgery residents, increasing the leveling of reporting which lead to increase revenues.
Transcribe and edit for specialties including: cardiology, pulmonology, urology, pediatrics, psychiatry, oncology, etc.
Utilize extensive knowledge of medical terminology while following AAMT and HIPAA guidelines.
Type medical transcription from all medical specialties, combine with comprehensive self-pace dictation system.
Utilize voice-record dictation to transcribe and edit medical reports for several acute care hospitals.

Recording technician example responsibilities.

Utilize SharePoint and Accutrac to convert information, by ensuring constant communication with department records coordinator and project leads.
Scan transcripts and financial documents into Onbase.
Perform periodic GMP audits to the manufacturing area.
Update procedures according to CFR & ISO requirements.
Assist processing, digitizing, and setting base-color on production materials.
Implement policy and procedures for HIPPA, OSHA and daily office guidelines.

Medical language specialist vs recording technician skills

Common medical language specialist skills

Transcription, 11%
Discharge Summaries, 8%
Dictation, 8%
Patient Histories, 5%
Medical Reports, 5%
Acute Care Hospital, 5%

Common recording technician skills

Customer Service, 20%
Data Entry, 18%
Database Systems, 7%
Office Equipment, 5%
Background Checks, 4%
Computer System, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Medical Language Specialist
Medical Language Specialist vs Recording Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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