Medical office administrator vs medical office administrative assistant

The differences between medical office administrators and medical office administrative assistants 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 medical office administrative assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, which is higher than the $33,856 average annual salary of a medical office administrative assistant.

The top three skills for a medical office administrator include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a medical office administrative assistant are patients, CPT, and patient care.

Medical office administrator vs medical office administrative assistant overview

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Office Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$34,252	$33,856
Hourly rate	$16.47	$16.28
Growth rate	-8%	16%
Number of jobs	179,503	136,278
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	49	37
Years of experience	2	12

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 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.

Medical office administrator vs medical office administrative assistant salary

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Office Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$34,252	$33,856
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between medical office administrator and medical office administrative assistant education

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Office Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Medical office administrator vs medical office administrative assistant demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Medical Office Administrative Assistant
Average age	49	37
Gender ratio	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between medical office administrator and medical office administrative assistant 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 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 office administrator vs medical office administrative assistant 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 office administrative assistant skills

Patients, 32%
CPT, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Patient Appointments, 4%
Phone Calls, 4%
Insurance Verification, 4%

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Medical Office Administrator
Medical Office Administrator vs Medical Office Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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