Post job

What is a patient care specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
introduction image

A patient care specialist provides care and assistance for patients and ensures that patients are properly taken care of. It is your duty to administer drugs, help with the patient's hygiene and also monitor their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to receive patient's phone calls, address their issues and provide solutions to complaints. As a patient care specialist, you may also have to change wound dresses, check on patients regularly, and ensure that medical equipment is clean and stored properly.

A patient care specialist also works with other staff to carry out their daily activities towards patient healthcare. Organizations may expect you, as a patient care specialist, to at least has a diploma or a bachelor's degree in nursing, physiology, or anatomy. You are also required to have at least concluded a year of training as a nurse assistant. You must be able to build good interpersonal relationships with the patients and also possess the ability to read and write effectively. A patient care specialist earn an average of $43,531 per year.

ScorePatient Care SpecialistUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,157

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.3

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 6.28%

Black or African American 11.72%

Hispanic or Latino 21.09%

Unknown 5.21%

White 55.02%

Gender

female 79.74%

male 20.26%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Patient care specialist career paths

Key steps to become a patient care specialist

  1. Explore patient care specialist education requirements

    Most common patient care specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    40.3 %

    Associate

    25.8 %

    High School Diploma

    14.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific patient care specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients33.35%
    Patient Care17.33%
    Data Entry4.93%
    Medical Terminology4.09%
    CPT2.49%
  3. Complete relevant patient care specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patient care specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a patient care specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patient care specialist resumes.
  4. Research patient care specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
    • Utilize software applications to document call interactions using medical terminology and responsible for initially engaging patients by explaining the services.
    • Verify CPT codes along with diagnosis code for guarantee payment for surgeries.
    • Process daily fee tickets and correctly enter office visit ICD 9 and CPT codes into the system for billing.
  5. Prepare your patient care specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patient care specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a patient care specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable patient care specialist resume templates

    Build a professional patient care specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your patient care specialist resume.
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
    Patient Care Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for patient care specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a patient care specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first patient care specialist job

Zippi

Are you a patient care specialist?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average patient care specialist salary

The average patient care specialist salary in the United States is $34,157 per year or $16 per hour. Patient care specialist salaries range between $20,000 and $55,000 per year.

Average patient care specialist salary
$34,157 Yearly
$16.42 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do patient care specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Patient care specialist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Putting that patient/customet first and directing (directions) that person to their Doctors office and setting or cancelling their appointments, just helping people.

Cons

There's nothing to dislike.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Cons

Sitting for long periods


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Gaining valued insurance knowledge and expertise.

Cons

Limited opportunity for an advanced position supervisor leading to manager.


Working as a patient care specialist? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse office and administrative jobs