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The differences between medical records clerks and health information technicians 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 technician. Additionally, a health information technician has an average salary of $34,604, 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 technician are patients, medical terminology, and customer service.
| Medical Records Clerk | Health Information Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,491 | $34,604 |
| Hourly rate | $15.62 | $16.64 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 129,998 | 120,786 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A health information technician is primarily responsible for managing and handling patient information, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality. They coordinate with various health care workers to gather patient data, laboratory results, test findings, and medical histories, encoding them in clinical databases in a timely and efficient manner. They must analyze every information to detect any inconsistencies, performing corrective measures right away. Furthermore, as a health information technician, it is essential to utilize particular software and systems when processing information, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.
Medical records clerks and health information technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Clerk | Health Information Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,491 | $34,604 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $26,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Stifel Financial |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical records clerk and a health information technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Clerk | Health Information Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between medical records clerks' and health information technicians' demographics:
| Medical Records Clerk | Health Information Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 16.5% Female, 83.5% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |