Patient accounts clerk vs certified medical technician

The differences between patient accounts clerks and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patient accounts clerk, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $31,951 average annual salary of a patient accounts clerk.

The top three skills for a patient accounts clerk include patients, medical terminology and patient demographics. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Patient accounts clerk vs certified medical technician overview

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$31,951	$38,859
Hourly rate	$15.36	$18.68
Growth rate	-4%	5%
Number of jobs	161,780	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a patient accounts clerk do?

A Patient Accounts Clerk is primarily in charge of computing, billing, and collecting payments in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. They may assist patients or families by answering inquiries, explaining payment procedures, and processing requests. Aside from serving as the point of contact regarding payment concerns, a patient accounts clerk is also responsible for liaising with health care providers and insurance companies, gathering and reviewing data for submissions, preparing and processing the necessary documents, and maintaining accurate records.

What does a certified medical technician do?

Certified Medical Technicians are specialists in medical diagnoses by performing laboratory testing and analysis for hospitals and physicians. Their duties include lab sanitization to prepare for testing and collection, recording medical samples for testing, specimen preparation, blood drawing for donation and testing, and assisting physicians with sample collection as well as equipment handling in surgical rooms. They must also understand how to use complex and sensitive testing equipment such as cell counters, analyzers, microscopes, and centrifuges.

Patient accounts clerk vs certified medical technician salary

Patient accounts clerks and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$31,951	$38,859
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between patient accounts clerk and certified medical technician education

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Connecticut

Patient accounts clerk vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between patient accounts clerks' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	8%

Differences between patient accounts clerk and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Patient accounts clerk example responsibilities.

Develop and execute policies and procedures that effectively manage the information needs of the organization and always following HIPAA guidelines.
Research ICD-9 and CPT codes on reject claims.
Adhere to all company policies, processes and procedures in compliance with HIPPA.
Practice HIPAA compliant rules and regulations while updating the patient information and entering the charges.
Verify charges on claims and assign valid ICD-9 and CPT codes to ensure appropriate reimbursement.
Research, appeal and resolve claims, rejections and denials with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Patient accounts clerk vs certified medical technician skills

Common patient accounts clerk skills

Patients, 24%
Medical Terminology, 14%
Patient Demographics, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Data Entry, 7%
PBX, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Patient Accounts Clerk
Patient Accounts Clerk vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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