Physician specialist vs medical receptionist

The differences between physician specialists and medical receptionists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a physician specialist and a medical receptionist. Additionally, a physician specialist has an average salary of $210,219, which is higher than the $31,960 average annual salary of a medical receptionist.

The top three skills for a physician specialist include patients, patient care and surgery. The most important skills for a medical receptionist are patients, customer service, and check-in.

Physician specialist vs medical receptionist overview

	Physician Specialist	Medical Receptionist
Yearly salary	$210,219	$31,960
Hourly rate	$101.07	$15.37
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	63,020	118,048
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Associate Degree, 28%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

What does a physician specialist do?

A Physician Specialist is a doctor who specializes in a particular field of medicine, such as pediatrics, urology, psychiatry, and more. Their responsibilities revolve around studying the patients' medical history, conducting assessments and evaluations, developing care and treatment plans, prescribing medication, and helping patients understand their conditions and symptoms. In some cases, a Physician Specialist may recommend patients to undergo surgeries and other procedures. Moreover, aside from treating and diagnosing medical conditions, a Physician Specialist maintains an active communication line with nurses and technicians for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a medical receptionist do?

Medical receptionists are responsible for manning the front desk at a medical facility such as a clinic or a hospital. They manage schedules and appointments in the clinic or hospital. They help patients to their respective appointments. They also assist doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners by ensuring that the schedule for the day is being followed. They are also in charge of assisting visitors by directing them wherever they would need to go. Medical receptionists also answer inquiries by patients or visitors. Medical knowledge, great customer service skills, and a friendly attitude are needed.

Physician specialist vs medical receptionist salary

Physician specialists and medical receptionists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physician Specialist	Medical Receptionist
Average salary	$210,219	$31,960
Salary range	Between $111,000 And $396,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Bradenton, FL	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	Delaware	Maine
Best paying company	Saint Luke's Health System	CENTER FOR SIGHT
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between physician specialist and medical receptionist education

There are a few differences between a physician specialist and a medical receptionist in terms of educational background:

	Physician Specialist	Medical Receptionist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Associate Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Health Care Administration
Most common college	-	-

Physician specialist vs medical receptionist demographics

Here are the differences between physician specialists' and medical receptionists' demographics:

	Physician Specialist	Medical Receptionist
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 5.2% Female, 94.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between physician specialist and medical receptionist duties and responsibilities

Physician specialist example responsibilities.

Manage providers' office and call schedules, outlook calendars and assist with surgery scheduling.
Generate referral letters for physicians, manage and sort medical documents within the EHR system, and assist with e-prescribing.
Review complete ultrasound and non-stress testing reports and assign appropriate ICD-10 and CPT codes.
Train in AllScripts EMR system.
Retrieve medical records from EMR and save to flash drive.
File written letters of appeal on claims deny by the Medicaid.

Medical receptionist example responsibilities.

Conduct analysis to address long wait times which lead to faster triage, shorter wait times.
Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
Greet and check-in patients, including obtaining accurate patient demographic information, patient registration, and checking insurance eligibility.
Learned and operate chiropractic equipment (decompression; Leander) & x-rays; enabling Dr to have more time for patients.
Resolve concerns of terminally ill patients with compassion and professionalism.
Identify patients' specific scheduling requirements while demonstrating care and compassion via telephone.

Physician specialist vs medical receptionist skills

Common physician specialist skills

Patients, 39%
Patient Care, 23%
Surgery, 18%
Internal Medicine, 3%
Excellent Interpersonal, 2%
Patient Registration, 2%

Common medical receptionist skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 9%
Check-In, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Patient Care, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

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Physician Specialist
Physician Specialist vs Medical Receptionist

Updated January 8, 2025

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