Medical records administrator vs medical records technician

The differences between medical records administrators and medical records technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a medical records administrator, becoming a medical records technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical records administrator has an average salary of $80,519, which is higher than the $37,087 average annual salary of a medical records technician.

The top three skills for a medical records administrator include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a medical records technician are patients, medical terminology, and HIPAA.

Medical records administrator vs medical records technician overview

	Medical Records Administrator	Medical Records Technician
Yearly salary	$80,519	$37,087
Hourly rate	$38.71	$17.83
Growth rate	28%	11%
Number of jobs	103,325	67,660
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 34%
Average age	47	45
Years of experience	6	12

What does a medical records administrator do?

Medical records administrators oversee written and electronic medical records and reports. The duties of a medical records administrator are to maintain patient records, collect admission reports, liaise with other medical staff, compile documentation from different medical records, respond to enquiries and records requests from patients and physicians, and create a database for patient records. They are also tasked with ensuring the records comply with all policies protecting patient privacy and confidentiality.

What does a medical records technician do?

A medical records technician is responsible for performing administrative duties, handling patients' medical records for medical purposes. Medical records technicians keep an organized database of patients' information, including medical history, diagnosis, healthcare treatments, laboratory schedules, and insurance details using specific healthcare coding procedures. Medical records technicians must be detail-oriented and highly organizational, especially on maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of patients' information. This job is critical in the healthcare industry for the doctors' reference and determining treatment costs.

Medical records administrator vs medical records technician salary

Medical records administrators and medical records technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Records Administrator	Medical Records Technician
Average salary	$80,519	$37,087
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $108,000	Between $28,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Long Branch, NJ
Highest paying state	Delaware	New Jersey
Best paying company	Long Island, FQHC, Inc	Guidehouse
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical records administrator and medical records technician education

There are a few differences between a medical records administrator and a medical records technician in terms of educational background:

	Medical Records Administrator	Medical Records Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical records administrator vs medical records technician demographics

Here are the differences between medical records administrators' and medical records technicians' demographics:

	Medical Records Administrator	Medical Records Technician
Average age	47	45
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	12%	9%

Differences between medical records administrator and medical records technician duties and responsibilities

Medical records administrator example responsibilities.

Manage medical records in accordance with federal and state HIPAA guidelines, maintaining confidentiality of patient information.
Bill Medicaid and pertinent insurance companies for payment on services.
Respond swiftly to provider questions and ensure claims are processed through MMIS system properly to meet Medicaid eligibility.
Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA privacy and security regulations by appropriately handling patient information.
Ensure evacuated patients are moved to the appropriate medical treatment facility or warrior transition units.
Interact with patients and associate medical professionals in order to supply and forward correct documentation for clinical visits.

Medical records technician example responsibilities.

Enter all patient in-take into EMR, manage triage, scheduling, and maintain a sterile clinic setting.
Manage medical treatment authorizations and durable medical equipment (DME) requests and verify medical eligibility for all patients requesting treatment.
Perform examinations in the ER, main radiology area and surgery.
Order medical records for patients, medical staff, outside entities, and court subpoenas for certain dates of services.
Audited/Validate daily outpatient medical coding accounts involving emergency rooms, surgery, interventional radiology, radiology, and ancillary services.
Staff education on EMR and industry regulations.

Medical records administrator vs medical records technician skills

Common medical records administrator skills

Patients, 28%
Medical Terminology, 12%
HIPAA, 7%
Patient Care, 7%
Patient Charts, 7%
Transcription, 4%

Common medical records technician skills

Patients, 20%
Medical Terminology, 11%
HIPAA, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Medical Facilities, 4%

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Medical Records Administrator vs Medical Records Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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