Medical receptionist vs receptionist/billing clerk

The differences between medical receptionists and receptionist/billing 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 receptionist and a receptionist/billing clerk. Additionally, a medical receptionist has an average salary of $31,960, which is higher than the $31,932 average annual salary of a receptionist/billing clerk.

The top three skills for a medical receptionist include patients, customer service and check-in. The most important skills for a receptionist/billing clerk are patients, data entry, and customer service.

Medical receptionist vs receptionist/billing clerk overview

	Medical Receptionist	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Yearly salary	$31,960	$31,932
Hourly rate	$15.37	$15.35
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	118,048	129,530
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	49	42
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 a receptionist/billing clerk do?

A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies. A receptionist/billing clerk must have excellent communication and analytical skills, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, escalating high-level complaints to the billing management. They should also maintain records of financial documentation for reference and reconciliation as needed.

Medical receptionist vs receptionist/billing clerk salary

Medical receptionists and receptionist/billing clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Receptionist	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Average salary	$31,960	$31,932
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Santa Maria, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	Alaska
Best paying company	CENTER FOR SIGHT	Leggett & Platt
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between medical receptionist and receptionist/billing clerk education

There are a few differences between a medical receptionist and a receptionist/billing clerk in terms of educational background:

	Medical Receptionist	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Medical receptionist vs receptionist/billing clerk demographics

Here are the differences between medical receptionists' and receptionist/billing clerks' demographics:

	Medical Receptionist	Receptionist/Billing Clerk
Average age	49	42
Gender ratio	Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8%	Male, 7.2% Female, 92.8%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.0% Asian, 5.7% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between medical receptionist and receptionist/billing clerk 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.

Receptionist/billing clerk example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Obtain and track all insurance referrals for patients with HMO products.
Coordinate in-processing of all patients, to include accurate insurance information and payments are entered correctly into office computer system.
Move from SNF billing to HMO outpatient billing and keep a large alpha current.
Maintain confidentiality and adherence to HIPAA guidelines.
Develop effective billing strategies for Medicaid recipients according to HIPPA rules and regulations.

Medical receptionist vs receptionist/billing clerk skills

Common medical receptionist skills

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

Common receptionist/billing clerk skills

Patients, 25%
Data Entry, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Telephone Calls, 7%
Appointment Scheduling, 6%
Front Desk, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Medical Receptionist
Medical Receptionist vs Receptionist/Billing Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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