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The differences between medical records clerks and medical record assistants 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 medical record assistant. Additionally, a medical record assistant has an average salary of $34,870, 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 record assistant are patients, data entry, and HIPAA.
| Medical Records Clerk | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,491 | $34,870 |
| Hourly rate | $15.62 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 129,998 | 91,238 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| 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 medical record assistant is responsible for the proper documentation of the patients' information and medical records for reference to the attending physician or other medical professionals. Medical record assistants also track the patient's medical treatments and progress, as well as their health insurance details and coverage. They also respond to the patient's inquiries and concerns, including scheduling physician's appointments and updating the patients for any released medical results. A medical record assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, categorizing documents, and retrieving files for medical needs.
Medical records clerks and medical record assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Clerk | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,491 | $34,870 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical records clerk and a medical record assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Clerk | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between medical records clerks' and medical record assistants' demographics:
| Medical Records Clerk | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |