Medical transcriptionist vs clinical assistant

The differences between medical transcriptionists and clinical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical transcriptionist has an average salary of $38,725, which is higher than the $30,215 average annual salary of a clinical assistant.

The top three skills for a medical transcriptionist include transcription, dictation and discharge summaries. The most important skills for a clinical assistant are patients, customer service, and PET.

Medical transcriptionist vs clinical assistant overview

	Medical Transcriptionist	Clinical Assistant
Yearly salary	$38,725	$30,215
Hourly rate	$18.62	$14.53
Growth rate	-7%	16%
Number of jobs	78,292	101,926
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	41	37
Years of experience	-	12

What does a medical transcriptionist do?

A Medical Transcriptionist is responsible for accurately transcribing audio records from Physicians and other health workers as part of a patient's medical history or other necessary documentation. Most of the time, a Medical Transcriptionist must sign non-disclosure agreements as the majority of the information relayed are personal and confidential. Furthermore, they must be meticulous in detecting inconsistencies and errors, translating or converting the information gathered into various medical documents, performing edits and revision, and following up any missing detail.

What does a clinical assistant do?

A clinical assistant is responsible for assisting medical professionals with medical procedures and ensure a high level of patient care. Clinical assistants perform minor clinic procedures such as taking patients' temperature, sterilizing medical equipment, proper dumping of disposable items, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, processing payments, arranging appointment schedules, and maintaining an organized record of patients' information, such as their medical history and health insurance records. A clinical assistant must strictly adhere to sanitary and hygienic procedures at all times to promote a safe and clean environment for the patients.

Medical transcriptionist vs clinical assistant salary

Medical transcriptionists and clinical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Transcriptionist	Clinical Assistant
Average salary	$38,725	$30,215
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $47,000	Between $13,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	White Plains Hospital	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Health Care	Pharmaceutical

Differences between medical transcriptionist and clinical assistant education

There are a few differences between a medical transcriptionist and a clinical assistant in terms of educational background:

	Medical Transcriptionist	Clinical Assistant
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Medical transcriptionist vs clinical assistant demographics

Here are the differences between medical transcriptionists' and clinical assistants' demographics:

	Medical Transcriptionist	Clinical Assistant
Average age	41	37
Gender ratio	Male, 6.3% Female, 93.7%	Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between medical transcriptionist and clinical assistant duties and responsibilities

Medical transcriptionist example responsibilities.

Manage audits using transcribe reports with preoperative and postoperative documentation within the EMR.
Experience in radiology, cardiology, orthopedics, physical therapy, pediatrics, surgery and family practice medical terminology.
Transcribe dictation from various specialty providers at the hospital including orthopedics, urology, podiatry, ophthalmology, and pain management.
Transcribe radiology reports, including MRIs, CTs, nuclear medicine and vascular reports in a high-production, acute care setting.
Maintain medical record integrity by interpreting, editing and transcribing dictation for multiple physicians and nurse practitioners.
Prepare medical documentation from dictation - specializing in the areas of general surgery, orthopedics, plastic/oral surgery

Clinical assistant example responsibilities.

Participate in multiple studies managing CTM activities for various therapeutic areas simultaneously including oncology, urology, transplant, and immunology.
Interview patients and interpret EKG recordings transmit via telephone.
Maintain CPR certification on yearly basis and perform errands as per the instructions of supervisor.
Act as a paramedic including CPR, heart defibrillator, first aid, emergency care.
Schedule necessary test such as nerve conductions studies, bone scans, and MRI's.
Conduct mini-meetings with small groups of doctors to encourage them to take ownership of their EMR forms.

Medical transcriptionist vs clinical assistant skills

Common medical transcriptionist skills

Transcription, 16%
Dictation, 10%
Discharge Summaries, 8%
Patient Histories, 5%
Medical Reports, 5%
Patient Care, 3%

Common clinical assistant skills

Patients, 28%
Customer Service, 10%
PET, 8%
Vital Signs, 6%
CPR, 3%
Phlebotomy, 3%

Medical Transcriptionist vs. similar jobs

Medical Transcriptionist related careers

Medical Transcriptionist related jobs

Medical Transcriptionist jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
Medical Transcriptionist
Medical Transcriptionist vs Clinical Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare support jobs