Medical office administrator vs scheduling specialist

The differences between medical office administrators and scheduling specialists 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 scheduling specialist. Additionally, a scheduling specialist has an average salary of $37,269, which is higher than the $34,252 average annual salary of a medical office administrator.

The top three skills for a medical office administrator include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a scheduling specialist are patients, medical terminology, and home health.

Medical office administrator vs scheduling specialist overview

	Medical Office Administrator	Scheduling Specialist
Yearly salary	$34,252	$37,269
Hourly rate	$16.47	$17.92
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	179,503	73,381
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 scheduling specialist do?

A scheduling specialist is responsible for managing the department's meeting, conference, and event schedules, as well as negotiating with suppliers and third-party vendors for appointment and program needs. Scheduling specialists may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, especially on communicating with clients and informing them of meetings, and responding to their concerns and inquiries. A scheduling specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as knowledge of the data processing procedures to maintain the organization's database, updating clients' information, and tracking business transactions.

Medical office administrator vs scheduling specialist salary

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Scheduling Specialist
Average salary	$34,252	$37,269
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	New York
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industry	Health Care	Transportation

Differences between medical office administrator and scheduling specialist education

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Scheduling Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Medical office administrator vs scheduling specialist demographics

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

	Medical Office Administrator	Scheduling Specialist
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%	Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1%
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, 9.6% 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 scheduling specialist 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.

Scheduling specialist example responsibilities.

Manage clinic visit schedules, rehabilitation conferences, medical exams, trial appearances, depositions, etc.
Treat all patients with compassion and dignity no matter what their socioeconomic status is.
Job entail becoming familiar with medical insurance carriers, which include Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Schedule patients for radiology procedures, including complicate scheduling for multiple exams in one patient visit.
Register patients into EMR system, ensuring accuracy when updating patient information, demographics and insurance.
Schedule outpatient appointment for radiology patients, verify insurance, obtain authorization from insurance companies for special procedures.

Medical office administrator vs scheduling specialist skills

Common medical office administrator skills

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

Common scheduling specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Excellent Interpersonal, 4%

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Medical Office Administrator
Medical Office Administrator vs Scheduling Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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