Medical office assistant vs medical clerk

The differences between medical office assistants and medical clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical office assistant, becoming a medical clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical office assistant has an average salary of $33,025, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.

The top three skills for a medical office assistant include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a medical clerk are patients, medical terminology, and data entry.

Medical office assistant vs medical clerk overview

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Clerk
Yearly salary	$33,025	$32,439
Hourly rate	$15.88	$15.60
Growth rate	16%	-8%
Number of jobs	199,611	166,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Average age	37	49
Years of experience	12	2

What does a medical office assistant do?

A medical office assistant, or sometimes known as a medical administrative assistant, is an individual who performs administrative functions for a hospital or clinic. Medical office assistants are responsible for all office duties such as accounting, medical transcription, and filing insurance claims. They interview their patients about medical case history and critical information and must also compile their medical records. They must also possess knowledge in topics such as medical terminology and medical law and ethics.

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 assistant vs medical clerk salary

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

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Clerk
Average salary	$33,025	$32,439
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Alaska	Minnesota
Best paying company	Erickson Senior Living	Brinks Gilson
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical office assistant and medical clerk education

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

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Medical office assistant vs medical clerk demographics

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

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Clerk
Average age	37	49
Gender ratio	Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7%	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 9.0% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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	6%	9%

Differences between medical office assistant and medical clerk duties and responsibilities

Medical office assistant example responsibilities.

Experience with manage care, Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial carriers.
Communicate closely with patients to ensure they are managing their current medications properly, and maintain accurate, up-to-date medical records.
Conduct preliminary patient screenings by assessing vital signs, recording patient information, preparing patient rooms, and performing EKG tests.
Protect patients' rights by maintaining confidentiality of personal information follows policies and procedures including HIPAA regulations.
Perform medical office duties including checking vital signs, history gathering, phlebotomy, and assisting physician with medical/neurological procedures.
Implement a new EHR system; provide leadership and mentoring to staff and physician during transition.

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 assistant vs medical clerk skills

Common medical office assistant skills

Patients, 24%
Patient Care, 11%
Vital Signs, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Medical Terminology, 4%
Phlebotomy, 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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Healthcare Support Industry
Medical Office Assistant
Medical Office Assistant vs Medical Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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