Medical records clerk vs medical office administrator

The differences between medical records clerks and medical office administrators 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 office administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, 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 office administrator are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Medical records clerk vs medical office administrator overview

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Office Administrator
Yearly salary	$32,491	$34,252
Hourly rate	$15.62	$16.47
Growth rate	11%	-8%
Number of jobs	129,998	179,503
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	45	49
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 office administrator do?

A medical office administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties within a health care institution, supplying physicians and medical professionals with patients' information, and coordinating with insurance companies. Medical office administrators handle the information and data management system to ensure the accuracy of patients' details, medical history, and treatment plans. They also schedule doctor appointments and cancellations, as well as monitoring the inventory of medical supplies. A medical office administrator submits payment reports, respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, and process billing disputes.

Medical records clerk vs medical office administrator salary

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Office Administrator
Average salary	$32,491	$34,252
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical records clerk and medical office administrator education

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Office Administrator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Health Care Administration
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Medical records clerk vs medical office administrator demographics

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Medical Office Administrator
Average age	45	49
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical records clerk and medical office administrator 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 office administrator example responsibilities.

Re-Evaluat & improve policy manual, develop standards for HIPPA, OSHA, manage care, billing and medical compliance.
Facilitate client relationships and manage surgery schedules, financial consultations, follow up care and ongoing maintenance.
Used knowledge of medical procedures and customer service, record medical histories and schedule patients for hospitalization and other procedures.
Scan new information such as daily progress notes, physical exams, labs and diagnostic testing into EMR.
Advise and counsel patient regarding food, fluid, medicine intake and restrictions prior to surgery including drop regime.
Organize patient charts and loose reports, as well as paper work from daily operations for scanning into EMR system.

Medical records clerk vs medical office administrator skills

Common medical records clerk skills

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

Common medical office administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Insurance Verification, 5%
Phone Calls, 5%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

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Medical Records Clerk
Medical Records Clerk vs Medical Office Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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