Medical records clerk vs health information specialist

The differences between medical records clerks and health information specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical records clerk and a health information specialist. Additionally, a health information specialist has an average salary of $33,343, which is higher than the $32,491 average annual salary of a medical records clerk.

The top three skills for a medical records clerk include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.

Medical records clerk vs health information specialist overview

	Medical Records Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Yearly salary	$32,491	$33,343
Hourly rate	$15.62	$16.03
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	129,998	135,448
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

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 health information specialist do?

A health information specialist is in charge of overseeing and developing strategies to optimize information management procedures in hospitals, physicians' offices, and other similar environments. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and updating medical records, receiving and organizing files, and updating databases according to the appropriate coding systems and procedures. Furthermore, as a health information specialist, it is essential to coordinate with nurses and other staff to ensure accuracy in documentation, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Medical records clerk vs health information specialist salary

Medical records clerks and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Records Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Average salary	$32,491	$33,343
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical records clerk and health information specialist education

There are a few differences between a medical records clerk and a health information specialist in terms of educational background:

	Medical Records Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Medical records clerk vs health information specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical records clerks' and health information specialists' demographics:

	Medical Records Clerk	Health Information Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9%
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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical records clerk and health information specialist 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.

Health information specialist example responsibilities.

Manage chart completion (ICD-9-CM and CPT coding/abstracting), chart assembly and analysis, patient admission and patient information privacy/security.
Review and audit medical records for correct DRG and APC assignment.
Certify requests for subpoenas, court orders, legal cases and training of employees.
Utilize Cerner and Centricity systems to assist in ancillary services.
Abstract medical records with ICD9-CM, CPT and DRG coding.
Scan documentation via DCS into HPF to be index under ROI.

Medical records clerk vs health information specialist skills

Common medical records clerk skills

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

Common health information specialist skills

Patients, 26%
HIPAA, 11%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Patient Care, 10%
Data Entry, 4%
Office Equipment, 3%

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Medical Records Clerk
Medical Records Clerk vs Health Information Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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