Medical records clerk vs admitting clerk

The differences between medical records clerks and admitting clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical records clerk, becoming an admitting clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical records clerk has an average salary of $32,491, which is higher than the $31,833 average annual salary of an admitting clerk.

The top three skills for a medical records clerk include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for an admitting clerk are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Medical records clerk vs admitting clerk overview

	Medical Records Clerk	Admitting Clerk
Yearly salary	$32,491	$31,833
Hourly rate	$15.62	$15.30
Growth rate	11%	-
Number of jobs	129,998	106,698
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 29%
Average age	45	42
Years of experience	12	2

What does a medical records clerk do?

Medical records clerks are employees in hospitals or clinics who manage office records. They are in charge of creating, updating, and filing patient-related medical records and other related documents. They ensure that all documents are correctly filled out and labeled before storing them safely in their respective storage areas. They may also be in charge of digitizing forms for easier access to files and back up purposes. They ensure that medical records are exact and updated. Medical records clerks should be organized and must always be on top of all tasks related to patient or medical records.

What does an admitting clerk do?

The job of an admitting clerk is to register and admit patients to a hospital. Admitting clerks interview patients in getting the necessary financial and medical information for the admission. They verify the insurance of patients and make sure that their registration forms are accurately signed. Usually, they work on the medical profession and hospital front lines. They welcome and face customers and need to understand medicine. Also, they are expected to manage doctors, nurses, patients, and hospital policies.

Medical records clerk vs admitting clerk salary

Medical records clerks and admitting clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Records Clerk	Admitting Clerk
Average salary	$32,491	$31,833
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $24,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between medical records clerk and admitting clerk education

There are a few differences between a medical records clerk and an admitting clerk in terms of educational background:

	Medical Records Clerk	Admitting Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical records clerk vs admitting clerk demographics

Here are the differences between medical records clerks' and admitting clerks' demographics:

	Medical Records Clerk	Admitting Clerk
Average age	45	42
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 9.3% Female, 90.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 4.5% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical records clerk and admitting clerk duties and responsibilities

Medical records clerk example responsibilities.

Manage transition from in-house transcription system to outsource transcription service.
Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
Perform infant labs and update the system with results, triage incoming patients, perform necessary resuscitation to baby and mom.
Provide information to medical facilities and patients when necessary and respond to subpoenas and other general release of patient information.
Experience in CPT and ICD-10 coding.

Admitting clerk example responsibilities.

Manage confidential patient information according to HIPPA guidelines.
Assist patients with benefit verification, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Perform online verification of Medicaid and Medicare admissions to insure eligibility.
Schedule patients for special procedures and radiology exams, obtain prior authorizations and referrals.
Release medical records upon request and maintain confidentiality of patients information under HIPPA law.
Process paperwork for various departments including insurance, surgery, radiology, laboratory and the emergency room.

Medical records clerk vs admitting clerk skills

Common medical records clerk skills

Patients, 27%
Customer Service, 9%
Data Entry, 7%
Medical Terminology, 6%
HIPAA, 5%
Patient Care, 4%

Common admitting clerk skills

Patients, 40%
Customer Service, 10%
Medical Terminology, 5%
Data Entry, 5%
Computer System, 3%
Phone Calls, 3%

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Medical Records Clerk
Medical Records Clerk vs Admitting Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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