Medical office administrator vs front office administrator

The differences between medical office administrators and front office administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical office administrator, becoming a front office administrator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, which is higher than the $33,516 average annual salary of a front office administrator.

The top three skills for a medical office administrator include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a front office administrator are patients, front desk, and appointment scheduling.

Medical office administrator vs front office administrator overview

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$34,252	$33,516
Hourly rate	$16.47	$16.11
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	179,503	147,279
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	2	6

What does a medical office administrator do?

A medical office administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties within a health care institution, supplying physicians and medical professionals with patients' information, and coordinating with insurance companies. Medical office administrators handle the information and data management system to ensure the accuracy of patients' details, medical history, and treatment plans. They also schedule doctor appointments and cancellations, as well as monitoring the inventory of medical supplies. A medical office administrator submits payment reports, respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, and process billing disputes.

What does a front office administrator do?

Front desk administrators work for different industries at the front desk of the front office area. They are responsible mostly for handling calls and transfers these calls to extension/local numbers. They manage booking travel appointments, answering inquiries, doing paperwork, and maintaining a professional image. They greet visitors and attend to visitors' inquiries. In addition, they assist other departments by performing other miscellaneous administrative tasks as required, and they often serve as ushers during client visits. Moreover, this job requires excellent interpersonal skills and good communication skills.

Medical office administrator vs front office administrator salary

Medical office administrators and front office administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Administrator
Average salary	$34,252	$33,516
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $27,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Lakewood, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Non Profits

Differences between medical office administrator and front office administrator education

There are a few differences between a medical office administrator and a front office administrator in terms of educational background:

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	California State University - Bakersfield

Medical office administrator vs front office administrator demographics

Here are the differences between medical office administrators' and front office administrators' demographics:

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Administrator
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%	Male, 9.9% Female, 90.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between medical office administrator and front office administrator duties and responsibilities

Medical office administrator example responsibilities.

Re-Evaluat & improve policy manual, develop standards for HIPPA, OSHA, manage care, billing and medical compliance.
Facilitate client relationships and manage surgery schedules, financial consultations, follow up care and ongoing maintenance.
Used knowledge of medical procedures and customer service, record medical histories and schedule patients for hospitalization and other procedures.
Scan new information such as daily progress notes, physical exams, labs and diagnostic testing into EMR.
Advise and counsel patient regarding food, fluid, medicine intake and restrictions prior to surgery including drop regime.
Organize patient charts and loose reports, as well as paper work from daily operations for scanning into EMR system.

Front office administrator example responsibilities.

Manage correspondence and documentation for OSHA compliance and hold some accounts payable responsibilities by coding invoices for processing and payment.
Handle day to day transactions, schedule patients, place patients onto traction tables and administer E-Stem/Ice.
Observe and perform patient's therapies such as, electric muscle stimulation, mechanical traction and acupuncture.
Cross train in veterinary technician duties including vaccines, administering medications, medical treatment for kennel and hospitalize patients.
Follow HIPPA protocol for sterilization of rooms/instruments.
Create a neck comparison using patient's cervical x-ray.

Medical office administrator vs front office administrator skills

Common medical office administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Insurance Verification, 5%
Phone Calls, 5%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

Common front office administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Front Desk, 6%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Phone Calls, 6%
Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
Data Entry, 5%

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Medical Office Administrator
Medical Office Administrator vs Front Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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