Medical records clerk vs medical billing clerk

The differences between medical records clerks and medical billing 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 medical billing clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical billing clerk has an average salary of $33,566, 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 medical billing clerk are patients, medical billing, and healthcare.

Medical records clerk vs medical billing clerk overview

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Billing Clerk
Yearly salary	$32,491	$33,566
Hourly rate	$15.62	$16.14
Growth rate	11%	-3%
Number of jobs	129,998	164,870
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 30%
Average age	45	46
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 medical billing clerk do?

A medical billing clerk is primarily in charge of processing payments and creating billing arrangements in clinics and hospitals. Among their responsibilities include gathering and verifying patient identification, handling insurance information, coding, updating databases, and maintaining records. It is also their responsibility to assist patients by filling out forms, answering their inquiries, and referring them to other services. Moreover, a medical billing clerk must monitor patient accounts and follow-up on delinquent patient accounts, coordinating with collection agencies as needed.

Medical records clerk vs medical billing clerk salary

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Billing Clerk
Average salary	$32,491	$33,566
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	San Leandro, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	iCare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical records clerk and medical billing clerk education

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Billing Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Associate Degree, 30%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Medical records clerk vs medical billing clerk demographics

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Billing Clerk
Average age	45	46
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 11.3% Female, 88.7%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between medical records clerk and medical billing 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.

Medical billing clerk example responsibilities.

Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
Interact with patients as part of the quality assurance process (follow-up, EHR confirmation, billing confirmation).
Reconcile insurance and patient payments while researching and resolving incorrect payments, EOB rejections, and assort issues with outstanding accounts.
Utilize medical terminology and follow HIPAA guidelines.
Bill Magellan through Nextgen system.
Double checked CMS-1500 form before posting it out to the insurance companies.

Medical records clerk vs medical billing clerk skills

Common medical records clerk skills

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

Common medical billing clerk skills

Patients, 18%
Medical Billing, 10%
Healthcare, 7%
Data Entry, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Medicaid, 5%

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Medical Records Clerk
Medical Records Clerk vs Medical Billing Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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