Medical office administrative assistant vs administrative assistant

The differences between medical office administrative assistants and administrative assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical office administrative assistant, becoming an administrative assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $33,856 average annual salary of a medical office administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a medical office administrative assistant include patients, CPT and patient care. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Medical office administrative assistant vs administrative assistant overview

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$33,856	$34,945
Hourly rate	$16.28	$16.80
Growth rate	16%	-8%
Number of jobs	136,278	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	37	50
Years of experience	12	2

What does a medical office administrative assistant do?

Medical Office Administrative Assistants are responsible for providing administrative support to a medical facility. Their duties include documenting case histories through patient interviews, updating patient health records, scheduling appointments, processing insurance claims adhering to legal regulations, assisting patient paperwork, and managing receivables and payables accounts. They also attend to patient inquiries and assist nurses and doctors with test scheduling, supplies ordering, and medical examinations. Medical Office Administrative Assistants use medical software to process transactions and keep abreast with changes in insurance and medical legislation.

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

Medical office administrative assistant vs administrative assistant salary

Medical office administrative assistants and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$33,856	$34,945
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between a medical office administrative assistant and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Medical office administrative assistant vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between medical office administrative assistants' and administrative assistants' demographics:

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Administrative Assistant
Average age	37	50
Gender ratio	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

Medical office administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files according to HIPAA regulations, and implement log books to automate patient records management.
Provide front and back office support for surgeons by administratively managing and monitoring patients.
Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
Prepare employee schedules, assist with patient triage, assist with cosmetic and medical procedures as needed.
Verify and process patient insurance coverage and handle tasks relate to insurance information of patients.
Recommend and/or initiate patient management in cases of acute distress with medications, laboratory orders and initiation of CPR when necessary.

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Medical office administrative assistant vs administrative assistant skills

Common medical office administrative assistant skills

Patients, 32%
CPT, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Patient Appointments, 4%
Phone Calls, 4%
Insurance Verification, 4%

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Medical Office Administrative Assistant
Medical Office Administrative Assistant vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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