Medical records clerk vs records clerk

The differences between medical records clerks and records clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical records clerk has an average salary of $32,491, which is higher than the $29,795 average annual salary of a records clerk.

The top three skills for a medical records clerk include patients, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a records clerk are data entry, customer service, and digital database.

Medical records clerk vs records clerk overview

	Medical Records Clerk	Records Clerk
Yearly salary	$32,491	$29,795
Hourly rate	$15.62	$14.32
Growth rate	11%	-
Number of jobs	129,998	101,023
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	45	46
Years of experience	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 records clerk do?

A records clerk is responsible for performing clerical and administrative duties, filing important documents, and keeping the company's files safe. Records clerks sort papers accurately and provide the files only to authorized personnel. They categorize records efficiently and dispose of unnecessary files, following correct procedures of the organization. A records clerk maintains a records database for easy tracking and retrieving of files. A records clerk must have excellent organizational and time-management skills, especially when compiling documents that are urgently needed.

Medical records clerk vs records clerk salary

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Records Clerk
Average salary	$32,491	$29,795
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $23,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Maine
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Saint Xavier University
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical records clerk and records clerk education

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Records Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

Medical records clerk vs records clerk demographics

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

	Medical Records Clerk	Records Clerk
Average age	45	46
Gender ratio	Male, 13.1% Female, 86.9%	Male, 25.2% Female, 74.8%
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, 11.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 5.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical records clerk and records 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.

Records clerk example responsibilities.

Utilize SharePoint and Accutrac to convert information, by ensuring constant communication with department records coordinator and project leads.
Review case files for evictions.
Proofread all legal documents for signatures.
Provide the statistics on a Powerpoint presentation.
Compute, record, and proofread reports.
Patrol designate districts in patrol cars and on foot.

Medical records clerk vs records clerk skills

Common medical records clerk skills

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

Common records clerk skills

Data Entry, 24%
Customer Service, 20%
Digital Database, 6%
Office Equipment, 4%
Management System, 4%
Computer System, 4%

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Medical Records Clerk
Medical Records Clerk vs Records Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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