Medical records technician vs medical clerk

The differences between medical records technicians and medical 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 technician, becoming a medical clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medical records technician has an average salary of $37,087, which is higher than the $32,439 average annual salary of a medical clerk.

The top three skills for a medical records technician include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a medical clerk are patients, medical terminology, and data entry.

Medical records technician vs medical clerk overview

	Medical Records Technician	Medical Clerk
Yearly salary	$37,087	$32,439
Hourly rate	$17.83	$15.60
Growth rate	11%	-8%
Number of jobs	67,660	166,322
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Average age	45	49
Years of experience	12	2

What does a medical records technician do?

A medical records technician is responsible for performing administrative duties, handling patients' medical records for medical purposes. Medical records technicians keep an organized database of patients' information, including medical history, diagnosis, healthcare treatments, laboratory schedules, and insurance details using specific healthcare coding procedures. Medical records technicians must be detail-oriented and highly organizational, especially on maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of patients' information. This job is critical in the healthcare industry for the doctors' reference and determining treatment costs.

What does a medical clerk do?

A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.

Medical records technician vs medical clerk salary

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

	Medical Records Technician	Medical Clerk
Average salary	$37,087	$32,439
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $48,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Long Branch, NJ	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Minnesota
Best paying company	Guidehouse	Brinks Gilson
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between medical records technician and medical clerk education

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

	Medical Records Technician	Medical Clerk
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 26%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Medical records technician vs medical clerk demographics

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

	Medical Records Technician	Medical Clerk
Average age	45	49
Gender ratio	Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2%	Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.3% 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 technician and medical clerk duties and responsibilities

Medical records technician example responsibilities.

Enter all patient in-take into EMR, manage triage, scheduling, and maintain a sterile clinic setting.
Manage medical treatment authorizations and durable medical equipment (DME) requests and verify medical eligibility for all patients requesting treatment.
Perform examinations in the ER, main radiology area and surgery.
Order medical records for patients, medical staff, outside entities, and court subpoenas for certain dates of services.
Audited/Validate daily outpatient medical coding accounts involving emergency rooms, surgery, interventional radiology, radiology, and ancillary services.
Staff education on EMR and industry regulations.

Medical clerk example responsibilities.

Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Follow HIPPA patient confidentiality guidelines making patients or facility have filled proper forms to release records.
File results of laboratory tests, x-rays, EKG's, etc., in patients records.
Respond and resolve patient inquiries with compassion and patience.
Prepare request for EKG tests, eye examinations, audio and dental records.
Enter deficiencies into MediTech program.

Medical records technician vs medical clerk skills

Common medical records technician skills

Patients, 20%
Medical Terminology, 11%
HIPAA, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Medical Facilities, 4%

Common medical clerk skills

Patients, 32%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Data Entry, 6%
Phone Calls, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Telephone Calls, 3%

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Medical Records Technician
Medical Records Technician vs Medical Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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