Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between medical records technicians and technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, which is higher than the $37,087 average annual salary of a medical records technician.
The top three skills for a medical records technician include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Medical Records Technician | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,087 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 67,660 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Medical records technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Technician | Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,087 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Branch, NJ | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Government | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a medical records technician and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Technician | Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between medical records technicians' and technicians' demographics:
| Medical Records Technician | Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.8% Female, 81.2% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 2% |