Medical office secretary vs medical receptionist

The differences between medical office secretaries and medical receptionists 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 receptionist. Additionally, a medical office secretary has an average salary of $32,609, which is higher than the $31,960 average annual salary of a medical receptionist.

The top three skills for a medical office secretary include patients, patient appointments and front desk. The most important skills for a medical receptionist are patients, customer service, and check-in.

Medical office secretary vs medical receptionist overview

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Receptionist
Yearly salary	$32,609	$31,960
Hourly rate	$15.68	$15.37
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	115,116	118,048
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 28%
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 receptionist do?

Medical receptionists are responsible for manning the front desk at a medical facility such as a clinic or a hospital. They manage schedules and appointments in the clinic or hospital. They help patients to their respective appointments. They also assist doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners by ensuring that the schedule for the day is being followed. They are also in charge of assisting visitors by directing them wherever they would need to go. Medical receptionists also answer inquiries by patients or visitors. Medical knowledge, great customer service skills, and a friendly attitude are needed.

Medical office secretary vs medical receptionist salary

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

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Receptionist
Average salary	$32,609	$31,960
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	CENTER FOR SIGHT
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between medical office secretary and medical receptionist education

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

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Receptionist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Medical office secretary vs medical receptionist demographics

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

	Medical Office Secretary	Medical Receptionist
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 9.8% Female, 90.2%	Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8%
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 receptionist 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 receptionist example responsibilities.

Conduct analysis to address long wait times which lead to faster triage, shorter wait times.
Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Greet and check-in patients, including obtaining accurate patient demographic information, patient registration, and checking insurance eligibility.
Learned and operate chiropractic equipment (decompression; Leander) & x-rays; enabling Dr to have more time for patients.
Resolve concerns of terminally ill patients with compassion and professionalism.
Identify patients' specific scheduling requirements while demonstrating care and compassion via telephone.

Medical office secretary vs medical receptionist 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 receptionist skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 9%
Check-In, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Patient Care, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

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Medical Office Secretary
Medical Office Secretary vs Medical Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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