Medical records clerk vs front office clerk

The differences between medical records clerks and front office 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 front office clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical records clerk has an average salary of $32,491, which is higher than the $31,051 average annual salary of a front office clerk.

The top three skills for a medical records clerk include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a front office clerk are patients, check-in, and data entry.

Medical records clerk vs front office clerk overview

	Medical Records Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Yearly salary	$32,491	$31,051
Hourly rate	$15.62	$14.93
Growth rate	11%	-5%
Number of jobs	129,998	163,789
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	45	47
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 a front office clerk do?

A front office clerk performs various administrative and secretarial duties, including welcoming and greeting clients and visitors, answering telephone calls, and managing the office budget. You will be responsible for monitoring, organizing, and forwarding emails and maintaining files and records. Other duties include following company policies and procedures, organizing transportation for guests, and handling and resolving guest complaints. In addition, you will also be responsible for invoicing and billing guests for their stay and used services.

Medical records clerk vs front office clerk salary

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Average salary	$32,491	$31,051
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $25,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Limbach
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical records clerk and front office clerk education

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical records clerk vs front office clerk demographics

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Front Office Clerk
Average age	45	47
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between medical records clerk and front office 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.

Front office clerk example responsibilities.

Manage front office check-in, insurance verification and certifications from doctors.
Maintain a high knowledge level of regulations on the confidentiality of medical records (HIPAA).
Verify releases of information according to HIPPA regulations.
Maintain confidentiality of patient information; abiding by HIPPA guidelines.
Register all patients per registration protocols, schedule appointments, and provide appointment reminder calls.
Respond to routine technical questions regarding patients' right and responsibilities and medical eligibility for care.

Medical records clerk vs front office clerk skills

Common medical records clerk skills

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

Common front office clerk skills

Patients, 34%
Check-In, 8%
Data Entry, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Front Desk, 4%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

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Medical Records Clerk
Medical Records Clerk vs Front Office Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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