Medical office administrative assistant vs medical laboratory assistant

The differences between medical office administrative assistants and medical laboratory assistants 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 office administrative assistant and a medical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a medical laboratory assistant has an average salary of $34,673, 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 a medical laboratory assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical laboratory assistant overview

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Laboratory Assistant
Yearly salary	$33,856	$34,673
Hourly rate	$16.28	$16.67
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,278	124,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Associate Degree, 27%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

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 a medical laboratory assistant do?

A medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical laboratory assistant salary

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Laboratory Assistant
Average salary	$33,856	$34,673
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Eugene, OR
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and medical laboratory assistant education

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Laboratory Assistant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Associate Degree, 27%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	-	-

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical laboratory assistant demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Laboratory Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%	Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and medical laboratory 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.

Medical laboratory assistant example responsibilities.

Direct a team of professionals to achieve superior and consistent ventilator weaning outcomes for long term ventilator dependent patients.
Ensure and enforce medical office compliance with HIPAA, OSHA, and CLIA regulations for maximum quality and control
Adhere to JCAHO confidentiality as well as maintained CLIA and OSHA standards.
Monitor lab performance to be in compliance with CLIA requirements.
Ensure CLIA standards are compliant and assist annual state inspectors during their surveys.
Conduct intake assessments in emergency room which include administering of vitals, EKG s, and patient prepping.

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical laboratory 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 medical laboratory assistant skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 8%
Data Entry, 6%
Lab Equipment, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Venipuncture, 4%

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Medical Office Administrative Assistant
Medical Office Administrative Assistant vs Medical Laboratory Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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