Medical records administrator vs practice administrator

The differences between medical records administrators and practice administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a medical records administrator and a practice administrator. Additionally, a medical records administrator has an average salary of $80,519, which is higher than the $78,493 average annual salary of a practice administrator.

The top three skills for a medical records administrator include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a practice administrator are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Medical records administrator vs practice administrator overview

	Medical Records Administrator	Practice Administrator
Yearly salary	$80,519	$78,493
Hourly rate	$38.71	$37.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	103,325	75,986
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

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 practice administrator do?

A Practice Administrator is responsible for the daily activities of a medical facility. They prepare prescriptions for patients, provide leadership in developing and implementing business plans, and oversee the billing and collection processes of departments.

Medical records administrator vs practice administrator salary

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

	Medical Records Administrator	Practice Administrator
Average salary	$80,519	$78,493
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $108,000	Between $56,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Delaware	New York
Best paying company	Long Island, FQHC, Inc	Osa
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between medical records administrator and practice administrator education

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

	Medical Records Administrator	Practice Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical records administrator vs practice administrator demographics

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

	Medical Records Administrator	Practice Administrator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%
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, 12.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical records administrator and practice administrator 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.

Practice administrator example responsibilities.

Lead the hospital through a successful CMS validation survey.
Manage multiple SharePoint sites by adding and editing accurate data for each team within the department.
Deploy, configure, and manage enterprise systems; monitoring, windows, linux, aws, vmware.
Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable activities using QuickBooks and online banking applications.
Compose monthly productivity reports, manage payroll; develop and implement policies & procedures.
Manage the overall operations of a large pediatric practice that provide services to a predominantly Medicaid population

Medical records administrator vs practice administrator skills

Common medical records administrator skills

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

Common practice administrator skills

Patients, 14%
Patient Care, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Practice Management, 4%
Oversight, 4%

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Medical Records Administrator
Medical Records Administrator vs Practice Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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