Medical office secretary vs medical clerk

The differences between medical office secretaries 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 secretary and a medical clerk. Additionally, a medical office secretary has an average salary of $32,609, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.

The top three skills for a medical office secretary include patients, patient appointments and front desk. The most important skills for a medical clerk are patients, medical terminology, and data entry.

Medical office secretary vs medical clerk overview

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Clerk
Yearly salary	$32,609	$32,439
Hourly rate	$15.68	$15.60
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	115,116	166,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

What does a medical office secretary do?

A medical office secretary carries out clerical duties in a health professional's office. They are responsible for typing correspondence and reports, maintaining files, paying vendors, handling insurance forms, billing patients, dealing with clients, scheduling appointments, taking phone calls, and greeting patients when they get to the office. The qualifications for this position include knowledge of computer software, medical terminology, health insurance rules, and medical building procedures.

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 secretary vs medical clerk salary

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

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Clerk
Average salary	$32,609	$32,439
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Minnesota
Best paying company	-	Brinks Gilson
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between medical office secretary and medical clerk education

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

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Medical office secretary vs medical clerk demographics

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

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Clerk
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 9.8% Female, 90.2%	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 secretary and medical clerk duties and responsibilities

Medical office secretary example responsibilities.

Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Enter new patients confidential information into computer database also discharge patients and enter chart information containing ICD-9 and CPT codes.
Attend various billing, Medicare, Medicaid and HIPPA workshops to stay abreast of changing policies.
Greet patients -schedule appointments -Answered telephones and direct calls -obtain demographic and insurance information -collect co-payments -verify insurance coverage
Obtain patient demographics and record patient information including health history, insurance responsibility forms, and appropriate HIPAA documentation.
Comply with all HIPAA laws and patient privacy policies.

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 secretary vs medical clerk skills

Common medical office secretary skills

Patients, 35%
Patient Appointments, 13%
Front Desk, 5%
Medical Terminology, 5%
Check-In, 4%
Data Entry, 3%

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 Secretary
Medical Office Secretary vs Medical Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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