Medical office administrator vs medical clerk

The differences between medical office administrators and medical 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 medical clerk. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.

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

Medical office administrator vs medical clerk overview

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Clerk
Yearly salary	$34,252	$32,439
Hourly rate	$16.47	$15.60
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	179,503	166,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Average age	49	49
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 medical clerk do?

A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.

Medical office administrator vs medical clerk salary

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Clerk
Average salary	$34,252	$32,439
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	Minnesota
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Brinks Gilson
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical office administrator and medical clerk education

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Medical office administrator vs medical clerk demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Clerk
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical office administrator and medical 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.

Medical clerk example responsibilities.

Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Follow HIPPA patient confidentiality guidelines making patients or facility have filled proper forms to release records.
File results of laboratory tests, x-rays, EKG's, etc., in patients records.
Respond and resolve patient inquiries with compassion and patience.
Prepare request for EKG tests, eye examinations, audio and dental records.
Enter deficiencies into MediTech program.

Medical office administrator vs medical 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 medical clerk skills

Patients, 32%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Data Entry, 6%
Phone Calls, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Telephone Calls, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Medical Office Administrator
Medical Office Administrator vs Medical Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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