Medical office assistant vs medical office administrator

The differences between medical office assistants and medical office administrators 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 office administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, which is higher than the $33,025 average annual salary of a medical office assistant.

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

Medical office assistant vs medical office administrator overview

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$33,025	$34,252
Hourly rate	$15.88	$16.47
Growth rate	16%	-8%
Number of jobs	199,611	179,503
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
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 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.

Medical office assistant vs medical office administrator salary

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

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Office Administrator
Average salary	$33,025	$34,252
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $38,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Erickson Senior Living	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical office assistant and medical office administrator education

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

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

Medical office assistant vs medical office administrator demographics

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

	Medical Office Assistant	Medical Office Administrator
Average age	37	49
Gender ratio	Male, 8.3% Female, 91.7%	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%
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 office administrator 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 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 assistant vs medical office administrator skills

Common medical office assistant skills

Patients, 24%
Patient Care, 11%
Vital Signs, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Medical Terminology, 4%
Phlebotomy, 4%

Common medical office administrator skills

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

Medical Office Assistant vs. similar jobs

Medical Office Assistant related careers

Medical Office Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
Medical Office Assistant
Medical Office Assistant vs Medical Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare support jobs