Medical office administrator vs front office clerk

The differences between medical office administrators and front office clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a medical office administrator and a front office clerk. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a front office clerk.

The top three skills for a medical office administrator include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a front office clerk are patients, check-in, and data entry.

Medical office administrator vs front office clerk overview

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$34,252	$31,051
Hourly rate	$16.47	$14.93
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	179,503	163,789
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	2	2

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 clerk do?

A front office clerk performs various administrative and secretarial duties, including welcoming and greeting clients and visitors, answering telephone calls, and managing the office budget. You will be responsible for monitoring, organizing, and forwarding emails and maintaining files and records. Other duties include following company policies and procedures, organizing transportation for guests, and handling and resolving guest complaints. In addition, you will also be responsible for invoicing and billing guests for their stay and used services.

Medical office administrator vs front office clerk salary

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Clerk
Average salary	$34,252	$31,051
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Limbach
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical office administrator and front office clerk education

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Medical office administrator vs front office clerk demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Front Office Clerk
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between medical office administrator and front office clerk 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 clerk example responsibilities.

Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Maintain a high knowledge level of regulations on the confidentiality of medical records (HIPAA).
Verify releases of information according to HIPPA regulations.
Maintain confidentiality of patient information; abiding by HIPPA guidelines.
Register all patients per registration protocols, schedule appointments, and provide appointment reminder calls.
Respond to routine technical questions regarding patients' right and responsibilities and medical eligibility for care.

Medical office administrator vs front office clerk 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 clerk skills

Patients, 34%
Check-In, 8%
Data Entry, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Front Desk, 4%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

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Medical Office Administrator
Medical Office Administrator vs Front Office Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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