Medical office administrative assistant vs student medical assistant

The differences between medical office administrative assistants and student medical 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 student medical assistant. Additionally, a student medical assistant has an average salary of $37,781, 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 student medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and laboratory specimens.

Medical office administrative assistant vs student medical assistant overview

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Student Medical Assistant
Yearly salary	$33,856	$37,781
Hourly rate	$16.28	$18.16
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,278	181,396
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Associate Degree, 28%
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 student medical assistant do?

It is evident that the student medical assistant does work for the administration and clinical expertise. One must know that they are known as medical analysts and devote themselves to addressing the problem of patients and medical assistants.

Medical office administrative assistant vs student medical assistant salary

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Student Medical Assistant
Average salary	$33,856	$37,781
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and student medical assistant education

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

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

Medical office administrative assistant vs student medical assistant demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrative Assistant	Student Medical Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%	Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%
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, 24.4% Asian, 9.2% White, 50.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between medical office administrative assistant and student medical 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.

Student medical assistant example responsibilities.

Provide supportive counseling and utilize motivation interviewing to improve patients' ability to manage their medical diagnoses
Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
Assist patients with consent forms, HIPAA questions and insurance verification to ensure accurate and timely care.
Used word processor and gain experience in EHR software.
Prepare examination rooms, take patient vitals, and update EHR.
Perform routine tests such as hearing tests, EKG's, vision tests, and specimen collection.

Medical office administrative assistant vs student medical 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 student medical assistant skills

Patients, 22%
Vital Signs, 11%
Laboratory Specimens, 6%
EKG, 5%
Surgical Procedures, 5%
Patient History, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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