Medical office administrative assistant vs medical research assistant

The differences between medical office administrative assistants and medical research 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 research assistant. Additionally, a medical research assistant has an average salary of $40,303, 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 research assistant are patients, patient care, and DR.

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical research assistant overview

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$33,856	$40,303
Hourly rate	$16.28	$19.38
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,278	125,533
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
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 research assistant do?

A medical research assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar environment. Their responsibilities include gathering and organizing samples, preparing the laboratories and other facilities, compiling and managing data, updating databases, and conducting examinations and analysis, all while adhering to the laboratory's policies and regulations. They may also liaise with clients, answering inquiries as necessary. Furthermore, it is vital to maintain an active line with researchers, coordinating with them every step of the way to ensure an efficient workflow.

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical research assistant salary

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Research Assistant
Average salary	$33,856	$40,303
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Worcester, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Norton Rose Fulbright
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and medical research assistant education

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Research Assistant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	-	-

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical research assistant demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Medical Research Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and medical research 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 research assistant example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Conduct intake and triage of medical histories for new and returning patients.
Record patient's medical history, vital statistics and information into charts and EMR.
Perform appointment scheduling and registration for patients as well as updating patient demographic and insurance information.
Perform tests (EKG's), as per protocol.
Sustain compliance with OSHA and HIPPA standards.

Medical office administrative assistant vs medical research 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 research assistant skills

Patients, 20%
Patient Care, 10%
DR, 9%
Vital Signs, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Phlebotomy, 5%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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