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The differences between medical records clerks and 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 a clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical records clerk has an average salary of $32,491, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for a medical records clerk include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| Medical Records Clerk | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $32,491 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $15.62 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | 11% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 129,998 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
Medical records clerks and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $32,491 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical records clerk and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Clerk | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between medical records clerks' and clerks' demographics:
| Medical Records Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |