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The differences between medical records technicians 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 technician and a medical record assistant. Additionally, a medical records technician has an average salary of $37,087, which is higher than the $34,870 average annual salary of a medical record assistant.
The top three skills for a medical records technician include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a medical record assistant are patients, data entry, and HIPAA.
| Medical Records Technician | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,087 | $34,870 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 67,660 | 91,238 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
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 technicians and medical record assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Technician | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,087 | $34,870 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Branch, NJ | Napa, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical records technician and a medical record assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Technician | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | 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 technicians' and medical record assistants' demographics:
| Medical Records Technician | Medical Record Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2% | Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7% |
| 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, 9.1% 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% |