Medical receptionist vs administrative assistant

The differences between medical receptionists and administrative assistants 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 receptionist and an administrative assistant. Additionally, an administrative assistant has an average salary of $34,945, which is higher than the $31,960 average annual salary of a medical receptionist.

The top three skills for a medical receptionist include patients, customer service and check-in. The most important skills for an administrative assistant are customer service, data entry, and powerpoint.

Medical receptionist vs administrative assistant overview

	Medical Receptionist	Administrative Assistant
Yearly salary	$31,960	$34,945
Hourly rate	$15.37	$16.80
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	118,048	65,769
Job satisfaction	-	4.14
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	49	50
Years of experience	2	2

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.

What does an administrative assistant do?

Administrative assistants, or admin assistants, do general clerical and administrative activities. Their duties involve organizing and maintaining files and records, preparing documents, scheduling meetings and appointments, and providing general support in the office. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing official correspondences, take minutes of important meetings and manage calls to the main office number. They also assist executives in providing structure to their day by managing their schedule, drafting e-mails, and other activities that executives may need assistance in. Administrative assistants should have the following skills: organizing, business writing, decision-making, and communication.

Medical receptionist vs administrative assistant salary

Medical receptionists and administrative assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Receptionist	Administrative Assistant
Average salary	$31,960	$34,945
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	CENTER FOR SIGHT	Westfield State University
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between medical receptionist and administrative assistant education

There are a few differences between a medical receptionist and an administrative assistant in terms of educational background:

	Medical Receptionist	Administrative Assistant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Medical receptionist vs administrative assistant demographics

Here are the differences between medical receptionists' and administrative assistants' demographics:

	Medical Receptionist	Administrative Assistant
Average age	49	50
Gender ratio	Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8%	Male, 12.7% Female, 87.3%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between medical receptionist and administrative assistant duties and responsibilities

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.

Administrative assistant example responsibilities.

Manage time and attendance using Kronos software for entire department.
Participate in national projects, manage new customer conversions to MCI from other carriers.
Manage FEDEX delivery requirements ensuring compliance with company policy.
Manage and update social media outlets including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Manage company finances using QuickBooks software, including monitoring the operating budget and collecting on unpaid invoices.
Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.

Medical receptionist vs administrative assistant skills

Common medical receptionist skills

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

Common administrative assistant skills

Customer Service, 14%
Data Entry, 11%
PowerPoint, 6%
Travel Arrangements, 5%
Database Management, 5%
Word Processing, 5%

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Medical Receptionist vs Administrative Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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